


When the Masks Come Off

by SammieWrites



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Backstory, Canon-Typical Violence, Carcerophobia, Character Development, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Early Bird Cameos, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, Families of Choice, Fem!Joker, Friends to Lovers, Genderswap, Implied Mental Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Mild Blood, Mild Creative Liberties, Musical Quotes, Novelization, Possible Multi-Ship, Possible smut, Rating May Change, Ryuji get's to say fuck, Self-Discovery, Sexual Harassment, Ship Tease, Slice of Life, Slight Story Exspantion, Slow Burn, Slut Shaming, Suicide Attempt, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, anyone gets to say fuck, fem!PC, quotes, slight canon divergance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-03-29 03:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 66,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13918542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SammieWrites/pseuds/SammieWrites
Summary: [FemPC] Tarnished with an unwarranted criminal record and false promiscuous past Chiyo decides it’s best to put on a shy, meek façade at her new school. Allow herself to disappear into the crowd and pass herself off as a model student. But a storm can only be contained for so long, and once something is seen, it cannot be unseen. Finally seeing the world for what it is it’s time to stop acting meek and start acting furious.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this earlier, but realized it was too soon. A lesson I never really learn…
> 
> There is a chance the rating may go up, if only for the subject of the first arc and the changes made for a FemPC. Not sure if language would warrant a higher rating either as people get to say ‘fuck’ in this. Like, should I think of it like the one usage of ‘fuck’ permitted in PG-13 movies or what? Heck, I’m not even sure if a FemPC technically counts as an OC or not.

**When the Masks Come Off  
Prologue**

_“I'm through accepting limits_  
_'Cause someone says they're so_  
_Some things I cannot change_  
_But till I try I'll never know”_  
\- “Defying Gravity,” Wicked

City life was always on the move, this night was no different. Some loved the glitz and glamour, the hustle and bustle. Some could only handle it in small doses, vacationing, the rare trip for that one meeting or the planned outing. If even that. But what was virtually agreed upon by everyone, was that the city simply lit up the night.

The casino, the nighttime centerpiece, was usually full of life at these hours. And it was. Until a few moments ago. The alarm sounded, silencing the general chatter one came to expect in such large crowds. A few individuals knew when to fold them, metaphorically in this case, and started to push their way through the crowd in an attempt to leave the building without getting caught up in anything. Others stood around in groups, trying to figure out just what was going on.

For the most part, the crowd was surprisingly calm. There was a bit of chatter amongst the confusion, that was to be expected. But at the same time, no one was tripping over themselves in an attempt to leave or shove against each other like wild animals. Even when a trio of men in black suits walked in, the civilians were oddly calm.

“Quite the audience we have tonight,” an unknown voice projected over the murmuring crowd. “I do hope I don’t disappoint.”

Attention went to the chandler in the middle of the room. Hanging about halfway down with a flat surface facing the ceiling, a figure stood, holding onto the suspension wire with one hand. The other hand cradled a briefcase that was tucked under their arm. 

Those closes could make out the feminine shape of the figured despite the coat she wore. Her powdery hair and white domino mask stood out amongst the black on her person, her coat, her slacks, her boots. Perhaps some saw the confident smirk on the girl's face as her eyes scanned the crowd. Upon spotting the men in black heading towards her, one with his hand over an earpiece, no doubt calling for back up, she fluffed her hair and gave the audience a playful wink. She turned on her heel and, with a slight bend to her knees, she leaped to the next light fixture.

_“Good work,”_ said Mona, _“now get running!”_

Joker landed on the next fixture with a bend to her knees. Straightening herself up, she sprinted forward, ready to make the leap onto the next two light fixtures. “Yeah, I know. We only have one shot at this and I’m not about to screw it up.”

_“But I have to say, showing yourself above that crowd was an excellent move.”_

Landing on a semi-circle light with a glass pane, Joker spotted a trio of men in the black suits hurrying onto the foyer she was headed for. “Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ll need to change route.”

 _“No worries,”_ piped Oracle confidently. Her ability allowed the group easy communication without the proper devices. _“I can guide you. Everyone else, head to positions. Use Route B!”_

Joker moved straight ahead, coming across a line of arched pillars until she landed on the sturdier ground of a rounded balcony. If she had to guess, she’d say that was where the bar was. Two of the suits cut off Joker’s path, but before they could do anything, their bodies convulsed. Their conventional human skin turned into tar-like muck. Their distinct faces were now featureless blue masks.

The confident smirk returned to Joker’s lips as she tossed the briefcase aside. She readied herself to perform a half-cartwheel towards the Shadow. She twisted her body so she could follow the cartwheel up with a series of flips. On the last flip, Joker used the momentum to gain added height. She was able to get herself onto the Shadow’s shoulders upon landing. Her gloved hand slapped itself on the blue mask, her fingers dug under the edge, pulling the mask until it popped off. Joker leaped off as the Shadow’s shape changed into a large mechanical bull-like creature with a white cravat and a lower body that was an odd combination between a centaur and naga.

Reaching into her coat, Joker pulled out a thin black stick; a long red ribbon fluttered out, pooling together at Joker’s feet. She held the wand so that her pointer finger was line up with it, a force of habit, and lowered herself into a defensive stance. _“Comparing power levels…”_ Oracle spoke more to herself than to Joker. Until she got something they would both like, that is. _“All right, no threat, not even a challenge. Get ‘em, Joker!”_

She nodded as though her accomplices were right beside of her. Joker’s free hand reached up for her mask and yanked it off. “Arsene! Ravage them!”

A red and black, vaguely human, figure appeared behind her in a flurry of blue flames. The figure lowered itself into a genuflect as the Shadow was taken out with an Eigaon curse. The Shadow stumbled back, fazed. Quickly, Joker placed her mask back on, causing the red and black creature to disappear. She readjusted her grip on the wand and proceed to pirouette twice. The ribbon trailed behind the wand into a lovely circle. Instead of going around a third time, Joker came to a complete stop and threw her arm forward at the Shadow. The ribbon sliced into the creature as though she had just slashed it with a sword. As it disappeared into a black haze, Joker sprinted to grab the discarded briefcase while she placed the ribbon back in its proper place. Before she could celebrate her minor victory, another Shadow approached her, bringing down a sparking police baton.

Flipping backward, Joker kicked the baton out of the Shadow’s hand. Landing upright, she turned on her heel and sprinted forward. She jumped up, using the balcony railing to give herself added lift and leaped onto a light pillar. Pulling off a similar maneuver, Joker leaped onto the foyer above it.

 _“Showoff,”_ she heard Panther tease.

 _“Okay, this works out,”_ quipped Oracle. _“Go through that door behind you.”_

Joker looked over her shoulder first before she turned to find a door marked ‘employees only.’ It was not long before she found herself in the back rooms of the casino. She ducked out of sight when she spotted one of the agents at the end of her path. The agent was speaking with someone on his team through his earpiece. “Yes, understood.” The agent instinctively nodded. “I’ll continue the search.”

Lowering his hand from the corresponding ear, the agent took off down the direction Joker had just come from. Unaware that the person he was looking for was crouched behind the casino’s laundry cart. Once the agent was out of earshot, Joker stood back up and headed straight for the stairs at the end of the hall.

At the head of the stairs, Joker plastered her back against the wall, keeping an ear out for any voices or foot-falls from oncoming agents. Realizing the coast was clear she went to the window, once again plastering her back to the wall. She peered out the window, spotting the rows of people at computers and the monitors at the end of the room. Security was no doubt doing what they could to find Joker and the others.

“She’s not alone! Fine them and kill them all!”

Crap.

Joker continued her trek, unnoticed by security as she walked right past them. Coming up to another flight of stairs Joker vaguely noticed the briefcase growing heavy in her arms. The stairs lead her to a hallway with a metal door at the end. She threw her free arm forward as she approached it, throwing the door open. Joker nearly threw herself to the banister overlooking the more higher-class shindigs. _“Something wrong?”_ asked Oracle. _“The exit should be up ahead.”_

Her brow furrowed as she looked on ahead. A multi-colored stain glass window was directly in front of Joker. “There?” Joker asked flatly.

She heard Oracle let out a sound of discomfort. _“That’s just how it is… You didn’t really expect to be able to walk through the front door after all that, did you? Wait… can you even make it?”_

Joker bit her lower lip for a moment while she scrutinized the area. “Yep,” she said devoid of any sarcasm.

“There she is! Over there!”

Peering over her shoulder, Joker spotted three agents, their guns drawn and aimed straight at her. “No escape!” shouted one of them.

A plastered smile formed on Joker’s face. She held the flap of her coat between her thumb and ring finger in her free hand. Sweeping her right leg behind her left, she dipped herself into a brief curtsy.

Fluidly, Joker turned towards the banister, placed her free hand firmly on the surface, and pushed herself up. She ran effortlessly atop the banister, literally cutting a corner as she approached the edge to save a little time. Stopping in front of the window, Joker raised her free hand up to the top of her head, she swiftly lowered it in a salute.

And then she threw herself out the window.

Her arms and the briefcase shielded her face as glass flew around her. She maneuvered herself in midair, rolling onto her feet upon landing. As soon as she stood up light’s switched on around her. Her free arm shielded her eyes from the sudden change.

 _“Enemies here?!”_ Oracle asked in disbelief.

 _“What’s wrong?!”_ demanded Skull.

_“These readings… It can’t be!”_

_“What happened?!”_

_“Oh no, oh no, oh no!”_ Noir chanted.

Joker pursed her lips to the side. The police, armed and ready to take action surrounded her, their spotlights aimed directly at her. Her eyes scrutinized the area, searching for any possible means of escape. Maybe not even an honest escape, just a distraction before the police could find the others. The unattended fire escape was the first thing she saw. “Sorry,” Joker muttered.

 _“Joker!”_ Fox shouted as Joker sprinted to the right.

The instant she took a step, the police frontline moved in after her. A few meters in front of the ladder Joker needed a jumping start in order to reach the first rung. This action and the action of pulling herself up should have been an easy act for her. But not so much when she still had the briefcase in her arm.

Climbing about half-way up, Joker made the mistake of looking down to find her pursuers falling over themselves to climb up after her. Several dozen officers and one ladder, there were bound to be a few traffic jams. But when she looked up, Joker realized too late that a line of officers (did she dare guess they were snipers) waiting for her when she reached the top.

The gunman waiting at the head of the ladder repositioned his gun before he slammed the butt into Joker’s face. The force knocked the wind out of her; her hand slipped from the rung and she found herself free falling. The briefcase slipped from her grasp, landing a few meters away from where Joker ultimately landed.

Winded, she was not given the chance to process what happened before she was forced down on her front, her arms held firmly behind her back with someone’s knee planted firmly between her shoulders. The chief of police approached her, looking down at the sorry sight in front of him. “Wasn’t expecting some little girl,” he confessed, lowering himself onto one knee. He gripped Joker by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out.”

“Wha…?” He released Joker’s face before he stood back up.

One of the officers released Joker’s right arm and pulled it up. A rush of panic claimed Joker before rational thought. She squirmed against her captors, chanting ‘no, no, no,’ over a metallic tinkling.

“Suspect confirmed. Cuff her!”

“Guess the drug was too strong. Wake her up!”

A splash of cold water brought back the near-familiar sense of panic in her. She sputtered looking up at a couple of blurred, humanoid shapes. She ached from the waist up. Her left eye was swollen and turning an ugly shade of purple. She was punched in the face by one of the agents after they made a rather lewd comment towards her and she spat in his face in retaliation. The shiner felt worse than the blows she took to the chest. All the aches she received came back all at once.

“No dowsing off,” ordered one of the agents.

She blinked rapidly and tried to break free of her restraints, only to be met with the metallic tinkle of the chains. A slight wave of panic gripped her, she couldn’t see clearly; she was in an unfamiliar room, though she had a good idea what it was. Her memory was still a bit fuzzy. The last thing she could really remember clearly was the sheer amount of fear that engulfed her when the second needle was forced into her neck.

Why wasn’t her vision clearing? Didn’t she put on her contacts this morning…? No… No, she’d been wearing her glasses for a while now. Where were they now?

Looking down at herself, she saw the white, dirtied, polo shirt and red and black plaid skirt of her school uniform. Right, the police confiscated her glasses and blazer in case she had another trick up her sleeve for an escape attempt.

“You still don’t get it,” said the agent. He took her face into his hand, forcing her to look up at him. “Game over. You lose. Give it up!”

On the last three words, he released her. The wind was suddenly forced out of her when the agent kicked her right between her solar plexus and chest. The force of the blow was enough to knock her chair over and her right out of it. Coughing, she brought her legs to her chest. “Lemme tell you how this is going to work, sweetheart,” the agent said, grabbing her by the hair, forcing her up slightly, “either you cooperate, or you’re getting another shot. Take your pick.”

Her eyes looked past the agent, at a red light in the corner. A security camera, perhaps? Her brow twitched, something was trying to resurface in her memory… something important… Something… needed to be seen?

The agent, realizing where her gaze was held, looked behind him. “So, you still haven’t figured it out, have you?” The agent released her hair abruptly, causing her to bump her head on the floor upon release. “There are no laws to protect criminals like you. Man or woman, you’re not above the law.”

For a moment, her brow furrowed, that one sentence pissed her off especially. She didn’t have the chance to even contemplate a response before the agent dropped a kick into her gut. Once again bringing her knees to her chest, she started coughing again, not only still sore from the previous kick, but the beating she had gotten earlier. 

Turning on his heel, the agent reached a hand out towards one of his coworkers, who handed him a black clipboard. “Obstruction of justice, blackmail,” he read aloud, “defamation, possession of weapons, and… manslaughter. Talk about the works. To think all those crimes were lead by a girl like you.” The agent chuckled to himself. “Surprised me with that one. I was under the impression you were some snot-nosed boy. But I suppose crime knows no gender. And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it, huh?”

It was a struggle for her to remember the crimes he listed, though some did strike a chord with her. The illegal weapons and defamation almost made her smile on impulse.

“It’s about time you knew your place,” the agent said before he signaled his partner.

The second agent approached her, unlocking the cuffs around her wrist. He grabbed her by the arm and forced her to sit up. She looked down at her hands, her wrists red from the cuffs being on too tight, and fingers tingling. She rubbed her hands together for a moment, trying to get feeling back into her fingers. The original agent held the clipboard and a pen out to her. “Sign here. It’s a confession under your name.”

Nodding, she took the clipboard and pen into her hand. But the agent grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. “Don’t expect to walk out of here in one piece,” he said in a hushed tone. “We’re going to make you understand… One must take full responsibility for one’s actions.”

“You say that now…” she said with a hoarse voice, “but we both know you’re not going to follow your own advice when you’re the one under fire.”

He struck her across the face, the force knocking her back onto her side. The strike irritated her already injured eye. “We’ll see how long that attitude of yours last. Now get to signing, don’t make me repeat myself.”

She sat up, trying to ignore the throb in her eye and the oncoming headache. She placed the pen tip by the tiny ‘x’ at the bottom of the sheet and proceeded to sign her name.

_Kusakabe Chiyo_

Niijima Sae kept her head high and her eyes forward. Her bag gently tapping against her side with each step she took. Her destination was not that difficult to find, the security guard and one of the police detectives were a dead giveaway. “Excuse me,” the detective said, as Sae approached, “this area is off-”

“I’m Niijima, from the Public Prosecutors Office,” she introduced quickly and with no nonsense. 

“The Prosecutors Office?” the detective asked skeptically. “And what business do you have here?”

“Just let me through; it’s urgent. There’s something I need to confirm with the suspect.”

“I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction, Niijima-san. Besides…”

“You Prosecutor Niijima Sae?” they heard. Sae turned to find an older man behind her. Likely a superior in the force. “There’s a call from your director. Hurry in and get it over with. Frankly, you’re being an inconvenience.”

A buzz came from Sae’s pocket, instantly she dug out her phone, pressed the accept button, and held it up to her ear. She didn’t need to see the ID to know who was on the other line. “I thought I told you to stand by,” Director Kodaira said with a sigh.

“I’m responsible for this case,” Sae argued, “and yet I’m not even being allowed an interrogation?!”

“I’m calling because I knew you’d bring it up.”

“I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself. This is my case.”

She could almost hear Kodaira throw up his hands in defeat. “Good luck to you then. I won’t be expecting much, though.”

Sae ended the call and put her phone back in her jacket pocket. “I forgot to mention something important, Prosecutor,” said the senior detective. “Your time will be cut short. I cannot permit you to speak with her for long. It’s for your own sake. Her methods are unknown. After all, we don’t know if it’s safe to simply meet and speak with her.”

“Understood,” Sae said coldly.

Kusakabe was seated at the metal table, looking worse for wear. Bruised with a shiner over her left eye, a small trail of dried blood from her nose, her hair in slight dishevel. Her white undershirt had a few brown spots and dirt tracks. The look in Kusakabe’s eyes was unlike anything Sae had known of her. 

“I didn’t expect it’d be you,” Sae confessed solemnly. Someone Sae herself had had a few conversations with, one of her younger sister’s friends. The last one, in particular, was something Sae had to force from her thoughts. Sae couldn’t be utterly sympathetic towards Kusakabe. Whatever her indent and reason, Kusakabe was a criminal. “But at the same time, in hindsight, I can’t say I’m totally surprised. Regardless, you’ll be answering my questions this time.”

Sae turned her attention from Kusakabe to a gleam on the floor. An empty syringe laid undisturbed; suddenly the look in Kusakabe’s eyes made sense. “Those bastards,” she muttered under her breath. She held a hand up in front of Kusakabe’s face, waving it a few times. “Can you hear me? I know you’ve been through a lot, but almost anything can happen here. And I can’t stop them. That’s why you need to answer me honestly, and I don’t have much time either. So what was your objective? What pushed you to commit these crimes?”

“So what was your objective?” Niijima asked. “What pushed you to commit these crimes?”

“What do you even want to know?” Chiyo asked through her haze. “Sounds like a pretty clear-cut case.”

“It’s not an issue of whether or not it can be used in court,” explained Niijima. “But as this is my case, I feel I should know the details. And luckily you’re coherent enough to answer. When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal someone’s heart? Tell me your account of everything, starting from the beginning.”

Chiyo brought a hand to her forehead, her fingers entangled in her bangs. From the beginning? Could Chiyo even remember where all this started through her drug-induced haze?

Something blue suddenly fluttered across her peripheral vision. It was a vibrant shade of blue and though she couldn’t see clearly, she could make out delicate wings? A butterfly? No, a blue lunar moth perhaps? _“You’ve been held captive,”_ a gentle voice said. _“A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none.”_

The moth began to circle around the room as the voice continued to speak. _“But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you… I beg you. Overcome this game… and save the world… The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds - the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day… when the game was started half a year ago… For the sake of the future of your world as well as your own you must remember.”_

Finishing its piece, the moth flew off, disappearing before it could fly into the wall.

Slowly, Chiyo nodded. She decided it was best not to force the memories out, let them come to her as she gave her testimony. Do not force it.

“The ninth of April,” she said at length. “I was on my train to Tokyo…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe one of the hardest things about writing this was deciding if the title should be ‘When the _Masks_ Come Off’ or ‘When the Mask _Comes_ Off?’ 
> 
> Chiyo’s design takes cues from the FemPC of _P3P,_ having hair and eye colors that contrasts with her male counterpart, and being modeled after a character from _Devil Survivor._ In Chiyo’s case, she’s modeled after Miyako Hotsuin from _Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker._ Partially influenced by the fact that I’ve seen a few pieces compare Hibiki’s design with Ren’s. I chose Miyako specifically because she wasn’t in the original game.
> 
> The name ‘Kusakabe’ comes from the manga and anime _Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne,_ which was the series that introduced me to the concept of phantom thieves. There is no significant reasoning behind ‘Chiyo’ outside of ‘I really like the name.’
> 
> The SUI Director isn’t actually given a name in the game proper, I gave him one for the sake of convenience. The name comes from Yoshiro Kodaira, a soldier turned rapist and serial killer from 1932 to 1946


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One  
Is Anybody Waving?**

_“When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around  
Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?”_  
\- “Waving Through the Window,” Dear Evan Hansen

**Saturday, April 9th**

Chiyo rest her head against the window, idly watching the scenery pass by without much thought. At sixteen it was hardly the first time Chiyo traveled the train on her own, it was just the farthest distance; from Yoshioka to Tokyo. It was a simple two-hour trip. 

Her dad could not be bothered to see his only daughter off. And her mom may have gone with her to Tokyo if Chiyo asked… but only begrudgingly. Either way, they sent their disgrace of a daughter off to live with a complete and utter stranger.

_She sat at the head of the stairs, able to just barely make out the legs of her dad’s suit. Her parents were deep in discussion about Chiyo’s future… without her. She only knew that she would be going to Shujin Academy in Tokyo. One of, if not the only school that would take her with her ‘history.’_

_“And he offered to house her?” Ryou, Chiyo’s mom, asked in amazement. “He knows what she did right?”_

_Chiyo’s hands balled up at her knees while she heard Takuto, her father, let out a low growl. “Why are you complaining?” he asked bitterly. “She has a school, she has housing, what more do you want?”_

_Ryou snapped, “The hundred thousand yen wasted on her future! She was supposed to be the best rhythmic gymnast Japan has to offer! I was supposed to have a daughter that was a winner! Beautiful and graceful, and she turns out to be a violent whore!”_

_As though someone punched her there, Chiyo’s arms wrapped around her stomach. She dropped her head into her lap, her eyes squeezing shut as her parents continued._

_“You think you have it bad?” Takuto challenged. “Do you know who they’re saying that the victim was? And it’s my daughter who attacked him! Who tried to get him to… Can’t even say it. Do you know what they’re saying about me in the office?”_

_Unable to take much more, Chiyo sprung to her feet and headed straight for her room._

Chiyo stared at her left palm, where three red marks looked back up at her, and the sad thing was, her right palm mirrored the left. For the most part. The mark on the center of her palm may have been the oldest, but it was the worst. Chiyo imagined this one would have left a lasting scar compared to the other five. 

She was not proud of what she’d done to her body. But she also felt the need to justify it. The weeks leading up to this moment left Chiyo feeling a crippling fear. A kind of fear that just made her want to drop dead where she stood. She was afraid of what would happen to her and she was virtually abandoned by everyone. Chiyo simply needed to feel something, anything besides fear or numbness.

Everyone from Yoshioka had something to say about Chiyo. How they always thought she was a sweet child. How she became a menace to society. And how Chiyo would apparently open her legs to anyone who gave her enough cash.

What no one talked about however, was the truth of the matter.

Chiyo was supposed to be home later that night, but a bad pivot at the ankle resulted in a minor injury. Her coach sent her home early to rest up. Maybe Chiyo should have fought against Coach that night. She needed to nail her routine for the coming competition. She was their star pupil after all. Now Coach didn’t even want Chiyo walking through their doors again.

When Chiyo wrapped her ankle she found she could walk on it okay enough. If she had brought that up maybe things would be different right now. But she didn’t. 

Walking home that night Chiyo heard the frightened cries of a woman. A man, so obviously drunk, had grabbed her by the arm despite her protests. When Chiyo saw the sight, all she could think about was how she would hope someone had the decency to help her if she was in a similar position.

_“Damn brat… I’ll sue!”_

Chiyo brought a hand up and pushed her glasses into place as a means of distraction. The thick black frames were round enough to cover about half her face. Her powder grey hair fell to her mid-back, it hung freely in gentle curls. 

“Are you for real? A mental shut down?”

Her pale grey eyes traveled to the opposite end of the car to find a couple of girls around Chiyo’s own age in black blazers with a gold star logo by the lapel and matching black skirts.

“But it’s true!”

“To a person though? It’s gotta be a joke.”

Eyes cast downward, Chiyo hugged herself as tight as she could. Her fingers digging into the fabric of her flannel shirt and squeezed. When was the last time she had a conversation like that? Mindless gossip with no real subject with the subject changing several times. She had them all the time a year ago, with her classmates, with her friends.

But now? Now Chiyo had a criminal record, on probation for her first offense. If only that was the end of it…

Sakura-san had given Chiyo two destinations she could go to meet him. His home address, however, was for the off chance Chiyo arrived in the middle of the night. The primary address was for a coffee shop by the name of Leblanc. Upon stepping off the train, Chiyo got her phone out. Pulling up the GPS app she got out the map of Yongen-Jaya.

Chiyo looked up to find herself slapped across the face by culture shock. The hustle and bustle of Shibuya was, needless to say, a stark contrast to the small town life Chiyo lived until now. The tall building’s, the sheer quantity of people surrounding her. How easy must it have been to get lost amongst a crowd of thousands like this.

Staring down at her phone, Chiyo’s head tilted to the side in confusion. A new app had appeared on her phone, while she still had the GPS open. It was a red icon with black accents creating the shape of an open eye with a five-pointed star as the pupil. The app icon suddenly grew, taking up most of the screen. It even appeared to be animated around the red area, giving it a shimmering, watery effect. 

She tapped the screen twice if only to get some reaction from the app, but nothing else popped up. A sudden… change caused Chiyo to lift her head up. The voices around her became lower with each second, like a recording slowing down, deepening until it stopped altogether. Which was just what happened to the hustle around Chiyo. The people around her stood frozen in place, it was like someone had pressed the pause button on the DVD player.

Chiyo scrutinized her surroundings. Everyone was frozen, the people, the TV screens, even a man on his bicycle. She was about to start questioning her surroundings when something caught her attention in the middle of the crosswalk. It was a fire, not only flickering with life, but as blue as ice. The flames grew tall, soon flickering into a vaguely human shape. 

The image stayed still for a moment before the fire burst, making the image appear larger and bulkier. A pair of orange slits appeared in the blue flames with a thin, crescent line underneath, creating the silhouette of a smiling face. The longer Chiyo stared into the silhouetted face, the more she could make out something human and distinct. Skin, hair, a set of yellow irises, and a wide, tooth-baring grin.

Someone bumped into Chiyo’s shoulder, causing her to break free of her trance. It was like someone had pressed the play button and caused city life to resume. Movement and sound was on the move once again. 

Chiyo looked down at her phone again. The mysterious app was still there but now a reasonable size. She tapped on the app and dragged it over to the waste bin. _‘Best not worry about it too much,’_ Chiyo told herself. _‘The last few weeks have been stressful, You’re just nervous.’_

Now the question was, did Chiyo honestly believe the lie she fed herself?

Putting complete trust in the GPS, Chiyo traveled to the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. It should have been easy to feel claustrophobic with the narrow walkway and people traveling with them. But in reality, Chiyo found the crosswalk outside the train station to be worse in that regard.

She almost past Leblanc were it not for the awning over the door with the shops name printed on it. Opening the door the sent of coffee overwhelmed Chiyo in an instant. The store interior was a bit rustic and just as cramped as the rest of Yongen-Jaya. There was only a pitifully small handful of tables and a bar. An elderly couple sat at one of the tables watching the news while a middle-aged man in a pink button-down shirt, white slacks, and a brown apron sat at the bar with a newspaper over his knee. 

_“A public transit bus was driven down an opposing line with its customers still in it! The citizens can’t live in peace if this keeps up.”_

“How frightening,” the elderly man said with a sigh.

“Didn’t something similar happen just the other day?” his wife asked.

“Vertical is…” the middle-aged man said seemingly oblivious to the couple’s concerns. “The name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…”

“Oyster,” said Chiyo.

The man looked up from his paper at Chiyo before he placed the paper on the bar. “They did say that was today,” he muttered before he stood up. 

The elderly couple looked between themselves before they stood up. Chiyo was under the impression that they just sensed that it was a good time to leave. “We’ll be going now,” said the older man. “The payment’s on the table.”

The older man’s wife gave the store owner a polite farewell as they hobbled out of the shop. The man, whom Chiyo presumed was Sakura Sojiro, muttered under his breath. Something about four hours for one cup of coffee. Making his piece, Sojiro looked back at Chiyo. “So, you’re Chiyo?”

“Sakura-san?” 

If Chiyo had to take a wild guess, Sojiro had to be in his late forties as the youngest. His black hair was slicked with a widow’s peak and a bit of facial hair along his jawline. Oddly, his wire-frame glasses fit in with the setting of the coffee shop. “Yep, Sakura Sojiro. You’ll be in my custody over the next year.” He paused for a moment to scrutinize Chiyo. “When I first heard about you, I was expecting someone a bit more unruly but-”

“You were expecting someone with heavy make-up and tight clothes,” Chiyo said knowingly.

“I didn’t say that. Follow me, I’ll show you where you’re staying.”

Chiyo didn’t initially notice the door at the back of the room, which lead to a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was, unsurprisingly, an attic. There was a bit of junk here and there, fake plants, plastic gas tanks, a ladder, a heater. There was a mattress by the window at the end of the room, and an old love seat to the left. A layer of dust covered just about everything while cobwebs decorated the ceiling. The only thing untouched by time was a cardboard box in front of the loveseat. Chiyo knew instantly that it was her things. Clothes for days off school, her gymnastics equipment, a few other belongings. 

“This is your room,” Sojiro said plainly. “I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed. It’ll be up to you to clean the rest.”

Chiyo scrutinized the room. “Did you decide to take me last minute?” she asked bitterly.

“You’re lucky you were able to find any housing from the sound of it,” Sojiro shot back. His tone made it clear he wasn’t going to be putting up with any teenaged moodiness. “I’ll be locking up each day after hours. You’ll be alone at night, but don’t do anything stupid. I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble.”

Throughout his piece, his tone made it clear he would follow up on his threats if Chiyo gave him a reason to. “I got the gist of your situation,” continued Sojiro. “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?”

Chiyo turned her head to the side, refusing to look at Sojiro. “Pretty much,” she muttered. She didn’t bother to say anything else. The adults rarely wanted to hear anything else. Why bother giving an opinion they didn’t really want to hear?

“That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults,” said Sojiro. “You did injure him, yeah?”

Chiyo shrugged, a silent manner of answering Sojiro without actually answering him. Yes, the guy was injured to the point where blood was drawn. But it was largely because he was drunk. All Chiyo did was pull him away from the woman, if he wasn’t so intoxicated it wouldn’t have been a problem. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, he fell over in his drunken state and brushed his head against the roadside rail.

But the man had some form of power, politician given how things went and Takuto‘s implications. It left Chiyo with a criminal record and essentially branded as such regardless of her past doings. It was all so stupid to her.

Regardless of what her life was before there was no winning the court case. But because the man was willing to ‘put it past him’ and it was Chiyo’s first offense she was put on a year’s probation. Her old school expelled her for it and life as she knew it was changed because of this.

_Chiyo shield her face with her arm as paper yen flew around her. “And out of the goodness of my heart,” the man said, turning back towards the woman, “I gave her a bit of cash, and suggested she rethink her life. She wouldn’t listen.”_

“That’s what happens when kids stick their noses in adults business,” Sojiro said, more to himself than to Chiyo. What came after, though was most definitely directed at her. “It’s best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chiyo murmured.

“You better be taking this seriously, understand? One slip up and you’ll be set straight to juvie.”

Chiyo fought the overwhelming urge to glare at him. Her mom had given her a similar warning when she got on the train. As though the thought hadn’t plagued her since she was first sentenced. _‘Please, remind me again,’_ Chiyo said silently, _‘maybe I’ll get it the tenth time.’_

“We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow, you’ll meet the principal and your homeroom teacher. You’re a week late, but from what I hear you shouldn’t have a problem catching up.”

Why did he insist on telling her everything she already knew? It wasn’t as though Chiyo herself didn’t do a little research on the school. Shujin Academy did not hesitate to boast about the Olympic alumni teaching PE, nor the accomplishments of the volleyball team he coached.

“What a waste of my Sunday,” murmured Sojiro.

_“The hundred thousand yen wasted on her future! She was supposed to be the best rhythmic gymnast Japan had to offer! I was supposed to have a daughter that was a winner! Beautiful and graceful, and she turns out to be a violent whore!”_

_“You think you have it bad? Do you know who they’re saying the victim was? And it’s my daughter who attacked him! Who tried to get him to… Can’t even say it. Do you know what they’re saying about me in the office?”_

Chiyo couldn’t help the glower. “Sulk all you want,” Sojiro brisked past her, “it won’t change anything.”

“I’m not sulking!” Chiyo snapped at his retreating form. “I’m just-”

Sojiro closed the door behind him; Chiyo mimed actions she really wanted to make while her mind created the sound of the pseudo-scream she wanted to make.

Just like her mom!

Chiyo was the one who was really suffering for the lawsuit, suffering from the aftermath of the man’s claims. But that didn’t matter to the adults in her life. All her dad cared about was how it affected his standing at work. And her mother was mourning the ace gymnast Chiyo was supposed to be. What did Chiyo matter in all of this? It was only her life.

Readjusting her glasses, Chiyo surveyed the room again. Home for the next year, huh…?

Chiyo searched her carry-on bag for her hairbrush and removed a hair tie from the handle; she pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail. As much as Chiyo didn’t want to, she went downstairs to ask Sojiro if there was any cleaning equipment, if she could use them, and where they were.

Getting what she needed, Chiyo got to work. Dusting overhead and causing the particles to fall Chiyo imagined her hair ended up looking more white than grey. The floor came next, mopping it clean of the dirt, and moving things around to be sure she got everything. To Chiyo’s surprise, she didn’t find any traces of mice, but supposed it was a good thing given the shop downstairs.

With the floor cleaned Chiyo stored some of the more unneeded stuff out of the ‘living area’ of the room, and told herself to remember where the heater was. As satisfied as she could get, Chiyo grabbed a few more items from her carry-on bag. They were more toiletries than anything, though she also had her glasses case with a cleaning cloth and her contacts. A part of her wasn’t sure why she bothered bringing them, she hadn’t worn contacts since she received her sentence.

Chiyo placed her hairbrush and glasses case on a storage box that would serve as a bedside table. She put the sheets Sojiro gave her on the bed before she broke into the box.

The first thing Chiyo found were a couple of framed photo's. One was of Chiyo, about nine, with a boy, about fifteen, and a middle-aged man. The three were dressed in padded apparels, helmets, and goggles. Chiyo and the boy looked like they were dragged through a haunted house while the man was beaming. 

Chiyo hadn't seen her cousin in years, nor her uncle, or aunt for that matter, since the arrest. Her aunt did contact Ryou, comforting and advising her now that her child had become a pariah. Chiyo wasn't quite sure why she brought this particular picture with her now. A momentary kinship with her cousin, Kaname?

No. This was different.

The second photo was from middle school. Her hair was done up in a tight bun. Chiyo, beaming in delight and wearing a form-fitting lavender unitard had two silver and one gold medal around her neck. Her arms were laced over Rumi and Mina’s shoulders.

_“It’s… It’s nothing personal Chiyo,” Mina shuffled her feet. “I just… don’t think talking is a good idea right now.”_

_“What?” Chiyo asked in disbelief._

_“There’s been rumors about you floating around,” Rumi said matter of factly._

_“That’s all they are! The whole thing was-”_

_“About the arrest, the charges, how you attacked that guy after he refused to-”_

_“That didn’t happen!” roared Chiyo. She was close to crying, frustrated and hurt by their attitudes. “I never-”_

_“I’m sorry, Chiyo,” Mina said, slowly turning away from her. “This is all too much for me.”_

_“Me too, actually,” added Rumi._

A shriek escaped Chiyo’s lips as she hurled the picture across the room. It landed with a shatter amongst Sojiro’s junk. She dropped her head in her hands as she started panting.

 _Too much for them?!_ What about Chiyo? She was the one living it!

With a few calming breaths, Chiyo lifted her head and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. It was time she got back to work. No use crying now when they were miles away.

Getting things in a way Chiyo could live with was trial and error. Even when she was satisfied there was still much to be desired. She succeeded in giving her belongings a place, dressing the bed, and clearing off the table beside the couch. 

The sun had set by the time Chiyo deemed the room livable. She was giving the room one last look through to be sure. She didn’t even hear the creak, creak, creak from the stairs. “What the heck?”

Chiyo turned to find Sojiro at the head of the stairs, scrutinizing the room. “This… actually isn’t that bad. Why don’t you turn in for the night? It’s not like you’ve got anything better to do. I’m going to close up now, I’d like for you to double check before you turn in. Think you can do that?”

“I suppose…”

Sojiro crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, listen up. There’s a bathhouse you can use just down the road from here. But, you don’t get back before I close up, you’re stuck outside for the night. You want to waste my time, I’m wasting yours. Got it?”

“Yes,” said Chiyo. She supposed it was fair enough. The restaurant business was bad enough without waiting on someone else before you could close up and head home.

Satisfied, Sojiro gave a brief nod before he went back downstairs. Chiyo followed as a means to double check as he wanted. She only stood at the foot of the stairs as Sojiro turned off the lights, locked the door on his way out, and turned the sign from ‘OPEN’ to ‘CLOSED.’

Chiyo changed into her pajama’s and readied herself for bed. After turning off the light, she cocooned herself in the comfiture. The sheer silence caused Chiyo to toss and turn on the mattress. 

She was a small fish dropped into a big pond. She was living with a man neither of her parents actually met, and it was clear to her that he was begrudgingly housing her. Should it really surprise Chiyo if Sojiro was being paid for it?

What use was it to ask how she got here? She knew exactly how.

_Chiyo peered down at her phone, checking the time. Ryou wouldn’t be expecting her back for another hour. Explaining why Coach sent her home early was going to be a real pain. Chiyo was certain she could still practice her routine with no problem. Her ankle was feeling fine and she had it bound. But on the other hand, it was no secret amongst the school that Coach saw Chiyo as her star pupil. Of course, she would favor Chiyo like this. The only reason Chiyo didn’t argue even further was because of the looks the older students were giving her._

_“Man…” Chiyo moaned. There was no way she could win tonight, was there?_

_“Just get in the car!”_

_“Stop it!”_

_The owner of the second voice sounded on the verge of tears. They did not sound that far from where Chiyo was. As soon as she heard the frailness of the second voice. She followed the voices, the first, masculine and slurring continued to impose himself on the second voice, frail and feminine._

_It was the lights of the car Chiyo noticed first. The contrast between light and dark hurt Chiyo’s eyes for a moment, but once they had adjusted she saw a woman trying to push a man off her. Beside them, the car door was open, waiting for either of them to get in._

_The woman shouted desperately, “I-I’ll call the police!”_

_Her attacker chuckled to himself. “Go ahead,” he challenged. “The police are my bitches. Think they’re going to care about you?”_

_Almost on cue, the high pitched whine of sirens echoed in the distance. The man cursed as he peered over his shoulder. “Now look what you did,” he hissed at the woman. “Must’ve made so much noise someone called the cops.”_

_He turned his attention back to the woman, grabbing her by the upper arms. She cried out, likely from being squeezed too tight. “Get in the car!” The man tried to force the woman into the black car beside them. “Moron’s like you just need to keep your trap shut and follow where I steer this country!”_

_Chiyo bit her lower lip, watching the scene play out. She imagined the woman started crying as she struggled against the man. Chiyo’s hands balled up, if she were in the woman’s position she knew for a fact she would have wanted someone’s help. Chiyo half-jogged up to the man and woman, hoping, if nothing else, as soon as he saw he was being watched the man would back off. The sound of shifting gravel beneath Chiyo’s feet caused the man to peer over his shoulder at her. “What’re you looking at?” he slurred. “Nothing to see here beat it!”_

_She stayed rooted in place, she hoped the look she was giving him made it clear that she would only leave when he left the woman alone. “See what you did?” the man asked releasing the woman’s arms. “You went and got someone else involved. Now, you can either get in the car before I decide to take this brat too!”_

_The woman hiccupped on a sob, her eyes traveled from Chiyo to the ground. The man chuckled to himself as he placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “That’s what I thought,” he said._

_He ushered the woman into the car. Chiyo’s feet moved before her mind could concoct a proper plan. She reached her hand for the man._

_“Hey!”_

Chiyo hugged her blanket closer to her. As if the lawsuit wasn’t enough the man accused Chiyo of attacking him because he wouldn’t give her sexual favors. Once that part got out suddenly it became common knowledge that Chiyo had a history of compensated dating, opening the gates to the harassment.

She was labeled the class slut from her ex-classmates. Boys Chiyo never spoke to were sending her messages asking her if she wanted cash or if she would just open her legs to anyone who asked. Which was nothing to say about the phone calls and IM messages from schoolmates calling Chiyo everything under the sun.

By her glasses, her phone started to ping. A little afraid to answer it, Chiyo wiggled out of the blanket and reached for her phone. She needed to grab her glasses to be sure she was seeing things correctly. 

The same red and black app with the eye was amongst her other apps. Hadn’t Chiyo deleted it?

Too worn out to dwell on it too much Chiyo slid the app to the recycle bin and placed her phone and glasses back in place. She cocooned herself back in her blanket. Her stomach was doing flips, a sensation that was not unfamiliar to Chiyo in the weeks prior. The stress of her situation had caused Chiyo to actually throw up twice. Once after the initial arrest. The second time was after the trial.

A line of tears slipped out of Chiyo’s eyes. Everyone talked as though things would fix themselves after a year’s probation. Chiyo never bought it for a second. Her record was going to follow her no matter what. And the reputation she gained after the man’s claims would follow her like a rain cloud.

Her eyes closed after a few minutes of silent weeping. She needed to at least try to get a good night's sleep.

It was like she had just dozed off, but something told Chiyo to wake up. Her eyes snapped open. The first thing she realized was off was the sounds; the gentle rattle of metal, the dripping of water. Neither of these sounds were in her room. The second thing that struck her as odd was how hard the bed suddenly felt. She wasn’t in the attic, but a cramped room. A room that was so… blue.

Chiyo sat up and immediately felt something weighing down on her wrists. She looked down to see a pair of handcuffs, the style had to be several decades old at minimal. If only it was the handcuffs that were the only thing off about her person. Chiyo was wearing a stereotypical prison jumpsuit, complete with black and white horizontal stripes.

She brought a hand to her forehead, her breathing and pulse started to quicken. Placing her hand against her temple, Chiyo realized she didn’t have her glasses on, yet she could see just fine. “Wha…?”

She heard a playful chuckle. Chiyo followed the sound to find prison bars with thick chains crisscrossing at the center, keeping her inside the room. Pupils contracting, Chiyo launched herself towards the bars. A metallic sound echoed in the room, followed by a pull on her right ankle. Chiyo looked down to find a cuff around her ankle, a length of chain littered the floor, leading straight up to a weighed ball.

Crying out, Chiyo flicked her leg, as though that could make the cuff come off. Her breathing became even more labored, she tried to shake her handcuffs off, she threw her back against the bars. Everything was irrational, everything was done in a false hope that she could somehow free herself.

“Quit your sniveling, Inmate!”

Through the other side of the bars, Chiyo felt something barely hit against her calf. She whipped herself around to find two boys of roughly thirteen. They both wore long-sleeved, high collared coats in a brilliant shade of blue. Black belts hugged their midsections, their slacks were tucked into their black, knee-high boots. On their heads, they each wore a blue and black peaked cap. Both boys were so blond their hair was almost white.

The boy to Chiyo’s left wore his long hair in a low ponytail and had an eye patch over his left eye. In his hands, he carried a clipboard. The boy to her right wore his hair neatly short, his eye patch was over his right eye. He carried a silvery baton in both hands. Their visible eyes were a vibrant shade of yellow.

“You’re embarrassing yourself in front of our master,” said the boy with the baton in his hands.

The boy with the clipboard spoke, “Prisoner P508954TS, Kusakabe Chiyo, has arrived.”

Chiyo looked straight ahead. The cell was just one of several in a circular room. In the center was a table where a man sat. His nose was long, his ears pointed. His eyes were almost unblinking. The grin he wore could have split his face. He wore a black suit and extended a white-gloved hand to Chiyo. “Trickster,” he said, his voice deep enough to rearrange Chiyo’s organs. “Welcome to my Velvet Room.”

“What?” Chiyo uttered. Her hands gripped the bars. “Where am I?! I wasn’t-”

“Open your ears next time, Inmate!” the boy with the baton snapped. 

“The you, in reality, is currently fast asleep,” explained the boy with the clipboard. He was far more soft-spoken than his brash partner. “You will wake up as though this never happened. Much like a dream.”

“You’re in the presence of our master. Show some dignity already!”

“I am delighted to make your acquaintance,” continued the man in the center. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter.”

“Wha…?” Chiyo’s gaze fell upon the other cells around her. All of them were open, all of them were empty. 

“I am Igor,” the man introduced at long last, “the master of this place. Remember it well.”

“What am I doing here?” Chiyo asked.

“I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well.”

“But why like this?!”

“Yes, this is surprising,” agreed Igor. “The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a ‘prisoner’ of fate.”

Looking down, Chiyo’s brow furrowed. Though she would have very much liked to deny every bit of it, wasn’t there a bit of truth to it? No matter what, Chiyo wouldn’t be free of her criminal record, her reputation. She would always be a criminal, she would always be easy.

“In the near future,” Igor continued, “there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

“Oh, really?” Chiyo asked flippantly. “And here I thought my life was ruined enough as it was.”

Igor chuckled to himself. “I speak of the end of everything.” He started drumming his fingers on his desk. “However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be ‘rehabilitated.’ Rehabilitated towards freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin.”

“Aren’t I doing that already?” Chiyo shot back. “Believe me, I’m being reminded enough to live an honest high school life.”

“That all depends on you. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

“Well, I would rather avoid ruin.”

“Then allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.”

In perfect unison, the twin boy’s stepped out and turned themselves to face Chiyo. “Pardon me for not introducing the others.” Igor rested his chin on the back of his hand. “These young men are my wardens here, to your left is Robert, to your right, Henry.”

Henry scoffed, “Try and struggle as much as you like.”

“The duty of a warden is to protect the inmate,” added Robert. “We are also your collaborators. That is… if you remain obedient.”

“You will understand the roles of these two at a later time,” explained Igor. Like clockwork Henry and Robert turned their backs to Chiyo. “Now then, it seems the night is waning… Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again. Eventually.”

A low siren wailed, getting louder with each second. Henry peered over his shoulder to face Chiyo. “Time’s up. Now hurry up and get back to sleep.”

**Sunday, April 10th**

A blue prison. Rehabilitation. Ruin.

Her situation must have gotten to Chiyo more than she originally thought.

Chiyo needlessly pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, her eyes kept forward on the road. Almost as soon as she had gotten dressed Sojiro was calling for her so they could head out and introduce themselves to the school staff. To her surprise, Sojiro had a car, which made her wonder if it cost any less than taking the subway. 

The Shujin Academy uniform consisted of a white polo undershirt and a black blazer with the school’s logo on the breast pocket. A black and red plaid skirt hovered over the black tights she wore. So much black… 

As far as Chiyo knew, only the school staff knew about her criminal record and her dating history. However, Chiyo did not doubt it would stay that way for long. When did something like this ever remain a secret?

She created a character of sorts in hopes to combat this. A shy girl who spoke when spoken to, who kept her head down. Someone who would likely be seen in the library after school. Someone who drew in as little attention as possible. Someone who could not have possibly done the things they said she did. Maybe then, someone would believe her when she said none of the would-be rumors were true.

As a result, Chiyo put a lot of thought into her hairstyle. Should she leave it down? Put it up in a bun? She settled for a braid that would fall over her shoulder. She put in a couple of hairpins to keep her bangs out of her eyes.

“The school you’re attending is in the Aoyama district,” he explained when they first took off. “It’ll cost you a bit to ride the train there, and the route transfers are a pain in the ass.”

In her own opinion, Sojiro’s white jacket and matching trilby was a bit overkill. Chiyo doubted they’d be at the school for more than three hours. But whatever.

Chiyo wasn’t sure how long they were on the road before they passed a white building with a sign reading ‘Shujin Academy’ plastered outside. “Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right?” Sojiro asked as they got out the car. He left his trilby in the driver seat. Thank goodness. “Don’t get me wrong - I don’t care what happens to you. Just don’t cause _me_ any trouble.”

“Right. Got it,” Chiyo snapped irritably.

Sojiro shot Chiyo a warning glare, silently saying, _‘That’s exactly what I’m talking about.’_

Chiyo couldn’t even describe Principal Kobayakawa as ‘portly.’ Between his large appearance, bald head and the tawny suit he wore, the man looked like a potato. The woman at his side was far easier on the eyes no matter which way your door swung. Dark wavy hair cut just above her shoulder’s; she had on a yellow shirt, and a long denim skirt. If her appearance didn’t scream ‘I’m a teacher,’ then Chiyo didn’t know what did.

“To reiterate,” Kobayakawa said to her while Sojiro was busy signing the necessary documents, “you will be immediately expelled if you cause any problems. Honestly, I hesitated on accepting someone like you, but there were some circumstances on your side. You might have done a variety of… _unsavory things_ in hiding in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here.”

Chiyo simply nodded, she tried to make her eyes as big as she could, to make herself seem approachable. Though she was fuming inside; did he really have to put it like that?!

“If you are thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go. You’d better keep that in mind.” Kobayakawa gestured to the woman at his side. “This will be the teacher in charge of your class.”

“I’m Kawakami Sadayo.” She slid a card across Kobayakawa’s desk to Chiyo. “This is your student ID.”

Silently, Chiyo took out her wallet and placed her new ID inside. “Be sure to read the school rules,” continued Kawakami. “Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by any chance you cause problems, I won’t be able to protect you at all. That is your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?”

“She’s the one responsible for her own actions.”

“But really though, why me? Surely there were better candidates.”

“It was a sudden transfer. And your class was the only one that had an opening.”

Sojiro and Chiyo exchanged looks over the chatter. Was this a usual occurrence with these sort of meetings among the staff? Sojiro cleared his throat, getting Kobayakawa and Kawakami’s attention. “If you’re done explaining things, mind if we get going? I have a store to get back to.”

“Do keep a close eye on her, Sakura-san,” said Kobayakawa. “Don’t let her cause any trouble outside…”

“I’ll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation she’s in.”

Like Chiyo couldn’t figure it out for herself. She got it from day one. It wasn’t that hard to understand.

She imagined her brow gave off her bitter mood as she followed Sojiro out to the school courtyard. “They’re treating you like some kind of nuisance,” Sojiro muttered.

“Yeah, that doesn’t remind me of anyone.”

Immediately Sojiro whipped himself around; he gave off the look of warning Chiyo was quickly growing accustomed to. “All right, your parents may have appreciated that mouth of yours, but my patients is running thin,” he said firmly. “And if I were in your situation, I’d drop the attitude before it get’s you in trouble.”

“We’ll you’re not in my situation,” Chiyo shot back flippantly. “And from where I stand, it doesn’t matter if I have an attitude or not. The school’s already decided I _am_ trouble.”

Resigned, Sojiro held up a hand. “Fine. Do whatever you want. But if you end up getting yourself expelled, I won’t hesitate to kick you out. Got it?”

_“Yes!”_

Why was it so impossible for the adults in Chiyo’s life to believe she wasn’t stupid? That she didn’t need these constant reminders? Chiyo already knew how she was going to tackle her new school. She was going to make herself invisible. Make herself into a student overlooked by her classmates. She should be able to get by the year if she did.

They said that appearances could be deceiving. But Kusakabe was nothing like what Kawakami was expecting. When she heard about the girl’s record and the circumstances surrounding it, Kawakami was expecting a delinquent. Bleached hair, an altered uniform, colored nails, heavy makeup, the works. Even someone who was trying to advertise her sex appeal. But not only did Kusakabe come in with her uniform as it should be, Kawakami was fairly confident that her hair was its natural color. And if she had any sort of makeup on it was so minor that it was unnoticeable.

No, Kusakabe looked nothing like a delinquent or a harlot, but more like a student you’d find working in the library after school

“What a troublesome situation.”

Kawakami looked up to find Kamoshida crossing her path. She didn’t need to ask what he was talking about. She imagined the entirety of the second year teachers, if not the entire staff, knew about Kusakabe. Her record was supposed to be kept between her and the staff, but Kawakami would bet every yen she had for herself that it would get out amongst the student body eventually.

“I just can’t believe they pushed someone like her on me,” muttered Kawakami. “Surely a male teacher would be better suited for this…”

“They might have if it was just a criminal record,” Kamoshida agreed. “But given how promiscuous we were told she is, they probably wanted to give her a good female role model. Show her how a lady _should_ behave.”

Kawakami pursed her lips to the side but refused to say anything. If that were true then she was probably the last teacher to prove such a thing for Kusakabe. Not that she would say it out loud. “Still,” Kamoshida sighed lowering his head. “Why in the world was someone like that even admitted here?”

“Who knows? It was Kobayakawa’s decision. I heard it was for the school’s reputation. Being the school to take in a student with a criminal record and a past of compensated dating and then some and getting them to turn their life around does sound pretty impressive.”

Of course, all of that was assuming Kusakabe did not have a mind of her own. Kawakami wasn’t sure if the student really was the type to go against rules or conform to them. Her reputation and appearance contradicted each other.

“I would’ve thought that my volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover the school’s reputation.”

“That’s certainly true.”

Kamoshida stretched his right arm out. “Just be careful, okay? Then again, if anything were to happen, I’d kick out a student like that in a heartbeat.”

“I keep wishing that she’d just end up not coming to school,” Kawakami confessed. Guilt nagged at her the instant she said it aloud. What sort of teacher was she if she said something like that? “But I could be overreacting. Kusakabe didn't look the part her record paints.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she presented herself as someone who liked being at school. But I can't tell if it's an act or not.”

Interesting… “Well, I should be returning to practice,” said Kamoshida.

“Oh, right. The tournament’s coming up, isn’t it?”

“Having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself. We’ll have to work hard to make up for the track team too.”

Kawakami nodded briefly. As Kamoshida walked off she brought her hand to the bridge of her nose. Why _her_ class?

Chiyo nestled herself in the corner of her seat, her arms crossed over her chest as they headed back to Leblanc. It would have gone a lot faster if they weren’t caught in traffic. Sojiro drummed his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently; he flicked on the radio. “You’re taking the train, starting tomorrow,” he said bitterly. 

“Mm-hmm.” Wasn’t that the plan anyway?

“So… how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Chiyo. 

“Don’t even think of doing anything stupid. You were already expelled once. To think you’d manage to re-enroll into a different school…”

“They just want the bragging rights that come with reforming a problem student,” Chiyo muttered. 

“Yeah, I guess that‘s true... It’s not like anyone will be sympathetic with you. If that’s what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too… What a troublesome kid I’ve taken in…”

Chiyo, unable to hold it in much longer, snapped, “Why did you if I’m such an inconvenience then?! You _clearly_ don’t want any part of this!”

“I was asked to do it!” Sojiro shot back, shooting Chiyo a look of warning. They were not going to spend the entire ride back having a screaming match. “And I just… happened to agree to it. I’ve already been paid for it too, after all.”

“Well, that much I could figure out on my own.”

 _“Again, a subway has derailed at Shibuya Station,”_ said the newscaster, _“greatly affecting the timetable all across the-”_

“Another accident?” Sojiro asked in disbelief. “So that’s why it’s so crowded.”

Chiyo lowered her arms and stared at the radio. Wasn’t there a news report on something similar yesterday? “Are these common in the city?” she asked. “If so, then the city’s more dangerous than I originally thought.”

“It’s not… usually. Though that does feel like the case lately…”

They did not make it back to Leblanc until evening hours, which only furthered Sojiro’s irritation. Chiyo headed straight back up to her room, thoroughly sick of his whining and moaning. And to be fair, she was certain he was sick of hers. But he followed her upstairs with a book in his hand. “You may be under probation, but there are no special limitations on what you do in particular. Besides following the law, that is,” Sojiro said, placing the book down on the table closest to the stairs. “That said, I’m obligated to report on you, which is why I’m having you record your daily activities.”

A muffled jingle was soon heard. Sojiro turned his back to Chiyo and took his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, what’s up? …I’m about to leave right now. Don’t worry. I’ll be there in no time. …Uh-huh. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up the phone and turned back to Chiyo. “I’ll lock up the place, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night. So long as you don’t mess up my store. If something goes missing, I’ll hand you right over to the cops.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“What’d I say about the attitude? You got school tomorrow, so you should be heading to bed anyway.”

Without another word, Sojiro marched downstairs. Chiyo raised a brow. Wasn’t he even going to watch her write anything in the diary? So she could do whatever she wanted after school, lie about it in the diary, and he would just accept it?

“Missed a big gaping hole in that little plan, didn’t cha?”

Groaning, Chiyo sat on the edge of her bed. She dug out her phone, aiming to look up the best route to school on the GPS. As soon as she turned the screen towards her, there it was, the same red and black app. It was even in the same place it was last night.

“Seriously?” Chiyo asked in disbelief. “Don’t tell me it has a virus...”

It shouldn’t, the thing was brand new, an attempt to go to Tokyo without worry of anyone back home harassing her.

Letting out a ‘tsk’ Chiyo dragged the app back to the recycle bin. She was going to have to reboot the thing, wasn’t she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few clear differences between Chiyo and Ren. With Ren, I often found myself thinking of Nick Wilde’s ‘never let them see that they get to you,’ and figured the logical step for Chiyo was to be the opposite. She’s not as stoic, she’s more likely to talk back, has a slight case of Carcerophobia. And Chiyo actually needs her glasses to see. 
> 
> Robert and Henry are modeled after the Bloody Twins from _Alice in the Country of Hearts,_ though Robert wears his hair like the Bloody Twins adult form.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two  
Rage Awakening**

_“Because in all of the whole human race_  
Mrs. Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two  
There's the one staying put in his proper place  
And the one with his foot in the other one's face”  
\- “Epiphany,” Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

**Monday, April 11th**

Chiyo woke up with enough time to do a set of stretches before she got ready for school. The satisfying pop in her hips and shoulders were near euphoric. A part of Chiyo toyed with the notion of Sojiro walking in on her while she stretched. The looks and comments she’d get from friends and relatives whenever she stretched in front of them ranged from fascinated to comical. The ways Chiyo could fold her body was second nature to her by now, that did not stop people from asking her if any of it hurt. She would often answer with, “Depends on how long I’ve been doing it.”

That’s not to say Chiyo felt nothing with every split she performed, every time her limbs were bent as far as they could go without injury. It was a good sort of hurt, the stretch of her muscles, the pop of her bones, it felt wonderful first thing in the morning or after school after hours of stillness.

Even after the arrest, after she was kicked out of her class, after her mom decided her would-be Olympic career was down the drain, Chiyo still stretched at least once a day. Every so often she found herself working out her moods by reenacting routines she performed in past competition to the best of her ability in her room. Chiyo doubted she would be able to find herself in a new gymnastics class in Tokyo. As soon as they discovered her past Chiyo would surely be kicked out.

After she had dressed Chiyo checked her bag twice and made sure there was naught a wrinkle in her blazer or her skirt. She did her hair up in the same over the shoulder braid she had on the day before and tamed her long bangs with a couple of hairpins. Satisfied with herself, with the library girl, she headed downstairs. “So, you decided to go to school after all,” said Sojiro from behind the bar.

Though Chiyo wanted to back-sass him, she decided against it. What did she do to suggest she wouldn’t go to school? How did she imply she planned on skipping out?

“Here,” Sojiro placed a plate of curry and a fork on the bar table, “just this once unless you plan on paying next time. Just be sure you’re finished before the customers start coming in.”

Chiyo shifted back slightly, both taken aback by Sojiro’s gesture, but also dumbfounded by the mere existence of curry. When was the last time Chiyo had curry? The diet her mother and her coach had Chiyo on was fairly strict, one that would give her the necessary nutrition and also prevent her from gaining unneeded weight. And when Chiyo did have curry it was usually given an okay from Ryou. Nothing unnecessary added, fatty bits of the chicken had to be cut. But Sojiro may have unknowingly added something Chiyo couldn’t have on her diet. 

It was in that moment Chiyo realized her diet did not matter anymore. Her days as a gymnast were done, her diet was completely moot now. Chiyo could indulge in the foods her friends ate on a daily basis. Red meats, sweets, general junk food; she could have them if she so desired now.

“Thank you.” Chiyo sat down quickly, her bag dropped on the floor.

She did not see if Sojiro already had a glass of milk prepared for her or not. But as soon as Chiyo first reacted to the spice of her first bite, the glass was placed right next to the plate. Despite her pallet not being accustomed to this sort of spice, Chiyo could tell there was a bold flavor to it.

By the time Chiyo cleared her plate her mouth was ablaze. Being timely, however, Chiyo ended up chugging down the milk over savoring it. “Thank you for the meal.”

Sojiro’s brow furrowed slightly, likely taken aback by the polite angle Chiyo was going for after two days of an icy attitude. He waved it off. “Hurry up and get going. If you get lost at this rate, you’ll end up late. Flip the sign for me on your way out.”

“Kay.”

Obediently, Chiyo grabbed her bag, laced it over her shoulder, and headed for the door. She flipped the sign to ‘OPEN,’ as promised. The grey clouds overhead foretold a chance of rain, which only caused a sense of dread to overcome Chiyo. She did not want to think about the possibility of getting lost and getting caught in the rain. 

Chiyo found her way to the subway easily enough. The cramped car made it virtually impossible for her to find a seat. All she could do was find a spot to stand, hug her bag to her chest and tried to make herself as small as possible.

At Shibuya station, Chiyo checked her phone several times in order to find her way to the Ginza Line. Getting off at Aoyama-Itchome Chiyo exited the station only to find it was raining. She cursed under her breath, “Great.”

“Did you hear?” a gossipy student whispered to her friend. “There was another one of those accidents just this morning.”

“This is getting scary,” her friend whimpered, “it’s getting harder for me to get on the subway without worrying something like that could happen to me.”

“I know, right!”

_‘Another accident?’_ Chiyo pondered to herself. Didn’t something happen just yesterday, and the day before? 

It was something she couldn’t dwell on for much longer. She needed to find a bit of shelter and double-check her GPS before she went any farther. Chiyo half-jogged straight to the first bit of shelter she could find under an awning by a store's window display and brought out her phone. She nearly dropped the phone in surprise when she saw that damnable red and black app icon again.

This was getting ridiculous. Chiyo was positive she deleted it, a couple of times for that matter. Before she could try to do the same thing the app suddenly enlarged, taking up half the screen.

“Think that’s her?”

Chiyo looked up to see a couple of girls in the Shujin uniform with umbrella’s slowly walk past her.

“I think so, I don’t recognize her.”

“She doesn’t look like a criminal.”

“But she was also busted for compensated dating, yeah? She probably puts on act’s to get men’s attention.”

One of the girls looked at Chiyo, who lowered her gaze. She bit her lower lip, sweat forming on her brow. Damn it, damn it, damn it! 

Chiyo knew it would come out eventually, but before she even got to school on her first day? Contemplating what to do next Chiyo noticed someone walk up beside her, having the same idea to take shelter from the rain.

The person wore a white hoodie under a Shujin blazer. She lowered the hood, revealing wavy, sandy hair done up in a couple of pigtails. Between her hair color and blue eyes, Chiyo was initially willing to believe the girl was a transfer student from America. But she could see a few distinct Japanese features in her face; the shape of her nose and eyes.

Chiyo was only vaguely aware her mouth was slightly opened as the girl looked up at the sky, the rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. Thunderstruck, Chiyo found herself unable to look away from the blonde girl. She was nothing short of beautiful and tall and… and…

And there was _no way_ she was wearing her uniform like that without getting a strict talking to.

Were it not for the blazer Chiyo would not be able to tell what school the girl went to, if at all. Not only was there the white hoodie instead of the polo shirt, the girl did not have the proper skirt. The hoodie was long enough to reach her thighs and she wore a pair of bright red leggings.

The girl’s gaze turned to her right, realizing Chiyo was staring at her, she turned her head straight at her. Flushing, Chiyo grabbed onto the straps of her bag and looked down completely unaware of the girl's gentle smile.

A white car pulled up in front of them, the passenger window rolled down revealing a middle-aged man with black hair and a square jawline wearing a blue tracksuit. A tracksuit… if that wasn’t a tell-all sign that he was a gym teacher. Which likely made him the Olympic alumni the school loved to brag about. He lowered himself so he could be seen through the window. “Good morning,” he greeted sounding friendly enough. “You want me to give you a ride to school? You’re gonna be late.”

The girl at Chiyo’s side was hesitant to answer, “Sure. Thank you.”

The man turned his attention to Chiyo. “You need a lift too? There’s enough room in the back.”

As tempting as it was, if Chiyo was right about him she wasn’t sure how good it would look if she arrived at school, on her first day at that, with a teacher in his car. She’d already been pegged as a criminal and floozy before class even started. Chiyo could practically hear the new slew of rumors. ‘She seduced a teacher already?’ ‘Wow, she doesn’t waste anytime!’

No. There was no need to drag anyone else into her mess. “N-no thank you,” she said with the best sunny smile she could manage.

Her voice sounded so alien to her when she spoke. Meek and still somehow whimsical. But it was perfect for the library girl she created. It was the right kind of voice for the type of person she was making herself out to be.

The man in the car shrugged one shoulder as the blonde girl got in on the passenger seat. As she buckled herself in, Chiyo noticed a peculiar look in the girl’s eye. Dull, unhappy, a look Chiyo was acquainted with after seeing it so many times in the mirror. The car took off before Chiyo could even contemplate what could have gotten to the girl so.

A sudden shout to wait caused her to jump slightly. A boy ran up, just as the car had picked up speed. The boy paused to catch his breath momentarily. “Dammit,” the boy cursed, straightening himself up. “Screw that pervy teacher…”

“’Pervy teacher?’” Chiyo repeated in a hushed tone, unaware of the app reacting on her phone.

The boy turned to find Chiyo staring at him. His hair was cut short, giving it a spiky look, and was likely bleached blond judging from his dark eyebrows. He had on the Shujin Academy uniform, but with a yellow t-shirt with a colorful decal on the chest. He had on the proper slacks but they were rolled up several times while the suspenders hung free at his sides. “What do you want?” he asked harshly. “You planning’ on rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?”

Chiyo’s façade took the lead, she flinched, avoiding eye-contact with the boy. Her free hand grasped the straps of her bag as she tried to shrink. “K-Kamoshida?” she asked adopting the same tone of voice she did just seconds before.

_‘Don’t cause trouble,’_ she told herself like a mantra. _‘Don’t cause trouble. It’s not worth it.’_

The slightly hostile look the boy gave her turned into one of confusion. Like Chiyo had just sporadically grown a parasitic twin from her stomach. “Huh? That dude in the car just now,” he said as though it should have jogged Chiyo’s memory. “Kamoshida. He does whatever the hell he wants.” Scoffing, the boy peered over his shoulder at the retreating car. “Who does he think he is - the king of the castle? Don’t you think?”

“King of the castle?” Chiyo spoke each word a staccato.

“You know, the way he-” The boy paused to scrutinize Chiyo. She could see the wheels in his head turning, perhaps he realized that she did not look familiar. Perhaps he realized that she really did not know who this Kamoshida was.

At length, the boy crossed his arms over his chest and list his head to the side ever so slightly. “You… really don’t know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You’re from Shujin, right?”

“I just transferred…” murmured Chiyo.

The boy nodded briefly; he peered at the button on Chiyo’s lapel, one that had the number ‘2’ printed on it, signifying her as a second-year student. “Looks like we’re in the same grade, then,” he said more to himself than to her. “Transfer, huh? Guess that explains why you don’t know ‘em. Man, did you dodge a real bullet. Fresh meat and all.”

Chiyo’s head list to the side out of genuine confusion. From the sound of it, Kamoshida was far from the best teacher, that much Chiyo understood. It was the ‘fresh meat’ part that Chiyo didn’t understand immediately. However, no sooner had the thought crossed her did she remember the boy called him a ‘pervy teacher.’ Instantly Chiyo put a stop to that train of thought. 

_‘Don’t cause trouble. Don’t cause trouble. Don’t cause trouble…’_

The boy looked skyward for a moment. “This rain ain’t too bad,” he said. “We better hurry up, or we’ll be late. C’mon, I know a shortcut.”

Chiyo could not help the smile on her face. She knew she shouldn’t read too much into it, the boy was just likely doing the decent thing. She also knew that she would likely be following from several paces behind just in case. But Chiyo didn’t care at the moment. Just for a few minutes, even though it would likely end when they got to school, she wanted to pretend she had friends again.

Her smile died faster than it came when she felt dizzy all of the sudden. She brought her free hand to her temple and tried to massage the ache away. She wanted to believe it was simply because she was too used to wearing her contacts on a daily basis and she was still getting used to her glasses. But she knew that would have been fooling herself, Chiyo should have been used to her glasses by now.

The odd thing was that the boy was similarly trying to ease away a sudden headache. “Fuck, my head hurts,” the boy muttered to himself. “Dammit, I wanna go home…”

_Chiyo could feel a headache coming on. Between the beating, she’d taken before and having gone on so long without her glasses, she was surprised it was just coming in now. She held her head in one hand, her fingers entangled in her bangs._

_Across from her, Niijima nodded, remembering the very day Chiyo was describing. “There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember it, yes? I assume you know the uproar that the public calls the ‘psychotic breakdown incidents.’”_

_“After the first couple of days or so, yeah,” said Chiyo._

_“On that day,” Niijima began slowly in a tone that told Chiyo she needed to consider her words carefully. Were you still an ‘ordinary’ student back then? You transferred to Shujin Academy, an ordinary prep school that could be found in any city… That’s what it should have been. What happened around that time?”_

_Sighing through her nose, Chiyo massaged her right temple with the corresponding hand. The more she talked, the more the haze let up, and she knew the following was not going to be easy to explain. “This is going to sound outrageous…”_

Chiyo stayed back a few paces behind the boy, her phone still in her hand as she walked. She wanted to inspect the app, provided she had time before class started, but she did not want to take her eyes off the boy. His shortcut involved cutting through a couple of alleys. However, after being pelted on by the rain and even more, fatter, drops of water dripping off the roofs, Chiyo placed her phone back in her pocket. Hopefully, the app would not accidentally back out thanks to an ill-timed bump.

She paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder. Something did not feel right, but Chiyo was unable to find the word to describe it. Something was just… off. And even then, ‘off’ was far from the proper description.

When the boy let out a confused shout Chiyo half-jogged to catch up with him. She was sure they were on the school grounds, but instead of the white building she had seen yesterday an old European-styled castle stood in its place. Confused, but far calmer after the initial shock, the boy glanced back down the shortcut they had just taken. “The hell?” he asked himself. “I’ve been takin’ this path since first-year, this should be right…”

_‘Not to mention something like this would be a tourist attraction and would not go unnoticed,’_ Chiyo added silently.

The boy walked off, headed for the castle drawbridge. “H-Hey,” called Chiyo, “shouldn’t we head back?”

“I’m just checkin‘. You can wait out here if you want.”

As the boy continued his trek, Chiyo let out a frightened whimper. Once out she pondered to herself whether or not that was a bit overkill. She was going for a sort of girl who preferred the company of books, not a helpless doormat. Chiyo had no reason to doubt that the boy was right about this being the right location, even Chiyo herself was certain of it. Checking it out wasn’t the worst idea. It wasn’t the best idea either, but their options were limited. Chiyo was just making herself seem less like a quiet girl and more like an idiot.

She half-jogged after the boy across the road and to the drawbridge. The foyer inside was decorated with red throw rugs atop green and white tiles. Straight ahead was a grand staircase that parted at the wings. Above was a massive chandler with crystalline decoration hanging down. “What the hell man…” the boy breathed out. He reached into his blazer pocket, pulling out his phone. His brow furrowed instantly. “Out of service? Where’d we end up…?”

“M-Maybe it’s a sporadic school event?” Chiyo was kidding herself and there was no way the boy would even go with it. What was better, a stupid suggestion or not even having the answers?

“Stop, who goes there?!”

A man in black armor with a shield and a broadsword in hand marched up to them. Chiyo brought her fist to her mouth, her brow furrowed at the sight of the man’s blue-green skin. That could not be healthy…

At her side, however, the boy jumped in place, his hand was held over his chest. “Geez, you freaked me out,” he exhaled. Catching his breath, he scrutinized the man. “You a student? Either way, the costume’s impressive… Is that armor real?”

“I-I-I don’t think he’s a student.” Chiyo legitimately stuttered as a second man in black armor with blue-green skin walked up. “What’s going on?”

“Dude, I don’t know!” the boy snapped. The first guard approached him, causing the boy to go pale. “This shit’s real…”

Both guards inched themselves closer. Instantly, the boy held his hands up while Chiyo’s hands went to her bag straps. “C-Calm down,” the boy pleaded. “Time out, man!”

In a flash, the boy whirled around and grasped Chiyo by the upper arm. “Come on, we gotta run!” He ushered her down only several paces until more guards arrived, blocking the exit. “Shit, where are you even coming from?!”

The guard nearest to him tossed his shielded arm at the boy, smacking into him. Shrieking, Chiyo leaped back. Thankfully the boy was still conscious nor did he appear to have any open injuries. “You’re gonna break my bones, dammit!” he shouted. “The hell you think you’re-”

One of the guards brought his sword arm down. Their fist and hilt hit the boy in the back of the head, knocking him out. Chiyo shouted out again, her thoughts instantly going over all possible, and fatal, head injuries. A thunk from behind her derailed her train of thought. The guards in front of her turned into dark blobs, they were suddenly at angles and growing before the scene went black altogether.

Despite his screaming headache, he was the first one who came around. As though the day couldn’t have gotten any more messed up, he woke up to find himself in a cell. a rather spacious cell at that, but a cell all the same. Barrels were lined against the walls on either side of the cell door. Chains with cuffs were hanging against the red brick walls. Behind him were a couple of wooden cots (yeah, ‘cots,’ let’s go with that and ignore the wheels at the head).

Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his head in an attempt to sooth the sore area. He found himself on the floor beside the cot where the transfer student laid still. It took him a few more seconds to realize she was there. Instantly, he placed the back of his hand in front of her face. To his relief, he could feel a steady stream of warm breath against his skin. 

She was alive, just unconscious.

Sighing, he sat back down and looked straight ahead at the barred door. “What the hell man?” he asked no one in particular.

First thing was first, he needed to wake the transfer girl. Last he remembered, she looked ready to cry at any moment. But if they were going to get out of this mess, they were going to have to work together. Still, one way or another, he was going to get her out of this.

Getting on his knees, he gently shook her by the shoulder. “Hey. C’mon, wake up!”

Chiyo’s eyes fluttered open to find the blond boy at her side. Pushing herself up she felt something under her. She readjusted her glasses and took in her surroundings. She whimpered at the sight of the bars and chains. A cell?

But how… why… She didn’t do anything wrong!

“You all right?” the boy asked, standing up straight.

“Where are we?!” Normally, Chiyo would have hated the whine in her voice. She should have asked if the boy was okay after two blows. But her own fears in the moment overrode all sense of common decency.

“Not sure. Looks like this ain’t no dream,” the boy said under his breath. His hands balled up into a couple of fists; he let out a frustrated yell, “What the hell is going on?!”

He ran up to the bars, the ground somehow rippling with each step. The oddity was enough to break Chiyo of her doldrums. How was it even happening? The floor wasn’t wet, there wasn’t anything but dust and grime. Chiyo mulled over it all while the boy yelled, trying to get someone’s attention. When no one answered, he shoved his hands onto the bars, causing them to rattle. “Damnit, I don’t get any of this!” He approached Chiyo, who noticed a slight limp in his step. “What do you think, some kind of TV set?”

Chiyo shook her head. “Th-They got far too physical,” she said. “A station could get into trouble after knocking out two minors…”

“I guess that’s true… But…” he raked a hand through his hair, “dammit, what other explanation is there?”

He glanced over his shoulder at the cell door, then back at Chiyo. “You gotta hairpin?”

“Ah… yes!”

Chiyo reached up and pulled one of the hairpins that kept her bangs at bay. Upon handing it to the boy she took out its fellow, fully expecting to lose the first one. “D-Do you know how to pick a lock?” she asked him.

“No. But how hard can it be?”

Harder than he thought, apparently. 

Five minutes passed by with the boy trying to pick the lock with no avail. Chiyo offered the second hairpin, but he rejected the offer. She suspected it was out of a sense of stubborn pride.

A clatter caused the boy to back away from the bars. The hairpin was soon forgotten. Chiyo finally stood up; a number of guards stood outside the cell door. With another clatter, the door creaked open, four guards in total filed in one by one. “Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon,” one of them said. Chiyo wasn’t sure who was the one to speak. No one’s lips moved. “You're charged with unlawful entry. Thus, you will be sentenced to death.”

“Excuse me?!” the boy demanded.

“No one’s allowed to do as they please in my castle,” said a new voice. The guards parted way, revealing a man wearing nothing but a pink Speedo and a fluffy red and pink cape. Chiyo almost thought the man was totally naked under the cape because of the light color of the Speedo. It was the lack of male anatomy that made her double check. She recognized the man’s face, however, it was the man the boy had called Kamoshida.

“What the hell?” the boy asked unbelievingly. “Kamoshida?”

“I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it’d be you, Sakamoto,” Kamoshida said uncaringly as he stared straight at the boy. “Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson after all, huh?” His eyes, a vibrant shade of yellow, traveled to Chiyo. A smirk pulled at his lips. “And you brought a little friend this time… because you can’t do anything for yourself. Have to hide behind a lady, now? And you call yourself a man.”

“This ain’t funny, you asshole!” Sakamoto snapped, his voice raised, possibly the most hostile Chiyo had ever seen him.

Kamoshida demanded, “Is that how you speak to your king?! It seems you don’t understand the position you’re in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting the king.” He gripped his chin. “The punishment for that is death. It’s time for an execution!”

He smiled in such a way it left Chiyo wondering if he got off on this sort of thing. One of the guards grabbed her by the blazer and shoved her to the side. They proceeded to block Sakamoto into the lower corner of the room, his expression was somewhere between anger and faltering. His brow furrowed instantly as he ran up to one of the guards, slamming his shoulder into its chest. The sudden attack successfully knocked it onto it’s back; it disappeared in a haze of black smog. “I ain’t down for that shit! C’mon, we’re outta here!” declared Sakamoto.

One of the remaining three guards swung its sword hand straight at the boy, landing a blow in Sakamoto’s solar plexus. He was thrown back against the wall. He wrapped one arm around his abdomen, flattering until he was on his knees. “Sakamoto-kun!” Chiyo shouted in the library girl’s voice.

_‘Stupid! Drop the act and do something,’_ she scolded herself. _‘This isn’t about causing trouble anymore. This is survival! Do something!’_

Sakamoto lifted his head, looking straight at Chiyo. “Just go! Get outta here!”

Chiyo stood frozen after she heard that. With the guards focused on Sakamoto all that left was Kamoshida by the door. Chiyo could run for it, but where would that leave Sakamoto? He really could not have been okay with staying to get a beating at best, killed at worst.

A low chuckle broke Chiyo from her thoughts. “Running away, are we?” Kamoshida asked with such a peculiar look on his face. He didn’t expect her to actually run for some reason. “What a heartless friend you are.”

“She ain’t a friend…” rasped out Sakamoto. “Just go already!”

Chiyo knew she shouldn’t read too much into Sakamoto’s words one way or another. In all likelihood, he was just giving her a chance to escape because it was the right thing. But all Sakamoto’s words did was keep her rooted in place. Why should Chiyo have the chance to escape while Sakamoto didn’t?

“What’s the matter?” Kamoshida asked her mockingly. “Too scared to run away?”

“Th-That’s not…”

Scoffing, Kamoshida rolled his eyes. “Typical of a woman,” he spat, “hardly worth my time. Let’s focus on Sakamoto’s execution.”

Instantly, the guard closest to Chiyo pointed his sword straight at her. One wrong move and the blade would likely be forced into the jugular. The other two guards grabbed Sakamoto by the arms, forcing him upright. Kamoshida approached him with a twisted smirk, then proceeded to beat on Sakamoto.

Chiyo could hear a few insults from Kamoshida. ‘Lowly scum,’ ‘useless,’ ‘shithead.’ On the last insult, Kamoshida brought his arm down on the back of Sakamoto’s head. He slipped out of the guard's grip, he fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath. “Where’d your energy from earlier go?” Kamoshida asked. He almost sounded disappointed. “A peasant like you isn’t worth beating.”

A guard grabbed Sakamoto by the back of the collar and tossed him against the wall opposite Chiyo. She flinched when he hit it. “I’ll have you killed right now,” continued Kamoshida.

Chiyo’s hands balled up, her face was beginning to turn red and hot to the touch. Enough was enough.

“How pathetic can you get?” she asked, finally dropping the act. Her voice no longer meek, her face no longer showed fear. She was using her natural voice, she was glaring daggers at Kamoshida. “What are you, one of those sad excuses for a teacher who gets off tormenting their students?”

Instantly, Kamoshida turned on his heel, his glare turned on Chiyo. His brow furrowed, enraged as he approached her; as though that would simply be enough to intimidate her. “’Pathetic?’ ‘Sad?’” Kamoshida repeated darkly. “Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know who I am.”

“You mean a sad fuck who’s milking his glory days for all they’re worth before he starts pissing himself at a senior center? Then, yes, I know exactly who you are.”

His expression darkened further. Out of nowhere, Kamoshida grabbed Chiyo by the chin, then proceeded to tilt her head from one angle to the next, inspecting her features. “Hey!” Sakamoto forced himself forward. “You get away from her you son of a-!”

The guard shoved Sakamoto’s back against the wall. His hands held him in place as Sakamoto continued to struggle against him. Kamoshida removed Chiyo’s glasses, repeating the process. “Not bad. We got the makings of a decent princess here.” He tossed her glasses to the side. “And a princess like yourself shouldn’t have to settle for such lowly scum as Sakamoto.”

Without warning, Kamoshida grabbed Chiyo's blazer and tore it open, one of the buttons flew off. His lips pulled back, his yellow eyes glistened with excitement as he eyed Chiyo's bosom.

_“Did you just-?!”_

_“I’m just playing. Relax.”_

She sucked in as much as she could and spat straight in Kamoshida’s eye.   
Enraged, Kamoshida brought a knee up, connecting it to Chiyo’s abdomen. The sudden action caused her to lose her footing, she fell back, holding her stomach. “Maybe you’re not much of a princess after all,” Kamoshida said with a growl. Biting back the pain, Chiyo glared up at Kamoshida through her bangs. “That look in your eye is beginning to irritate me. After the peasant, it’s her turn to die.”

The guard holding Sakamoto down pulled out his sword from its scabbard. Instantly, Chiyo was on her feet, she broke forward. The only plan she really had was to jump the guard and hope the ensuing chaos would allow them both a chance to escape. But the remaining two guards grabbed Chiyo by the shoulders and slammed her back against the wall, pinning her there.

The guard in front of Sakamoto aimed his sword at him, waiting for Kamoshida to give the word to strike. Despite the big talk from earlier, Sakamoto’s eyes were fit to burst out of fear alone. He was as much as Chiyo, and she was unable to do anything.

_“This is truly an unjust game,”_ she heard, the voice boyish, but still gentle. _“Your chances of winning are almost none.”_

A light suddenly caught Chiyo’s attention. Her vision could only make out a small, delicate creature of a brilliant shade of blue that fluttered overhead. A butterfly? _“But if my voice is reaching you,”_ the voice continued, almost ethereal in its tone, _“then there may be a chance for you.”_

The butterfly flew off through the open cell door, ignored by the guards and Kamoshida. Chiyo flinched, a dull, but still noticeable, ache pounded in her head. 

_“So, what are you going to do?”_ asked a new voice. A woman’s perhaps, she was commanding, demanding attention and respect. _“Twiddle your thumbs and watch? Look away and do nothing? Death awaits him if you don’t do anything. Or did you make a mistake back then? Look at where it got you, after all.”_

A mistake? 

Well, Chiyo certainly had reason to think so. Her life was ruined because of that man’s charges over his own drunken stupor. She had been called everything from a whore to a floozy because of the lies he created. Her friends turned on her when it became too hard. Her parents decided they believed a man who never gave his name over their own daughter. She was shipped off to live with a stranger who was icy at best, uncaring at worse and sent to a new school in a big city. Chiyo’s dreams of becoming an Olympic rhythmic gymnast were shattered. And here she was now, so desperate for companionship she was latching onto a few random kindnesses from a boy she just met.

Wasn’t it a mistake?

But when Chiyo thought about the woman, repeatedly telling the man no while he refused to listen. Close to tears, helpless. Chiyo had no reason to believe the man wouldn’t have forced himself on her as soon as they were in the car after the fight she put up. But no one else was going to help her.

Wasn’t this the society they lived in? One where a girl could save a woman from her would-be rapist and end up being the one arrested and tried? One where those in power could trample upon those below them just because they could? One where they could get away with it because they knew no one would stand up against them?

_Chiyo, age thirteen, kept her gaze skyward on the flying club she just threw as she shuffled herself in a semi-circle, swinging her arms in a small circular motion. Pirouetting around twice, Chiyo reached her hand out to catch the club._

_Only to miss the catch completely._

_Irritated, Chiyo threw other club. Dagnabit, why did she have an easier time catching a friggin’ ribbon over clubs?_

_“Mom, I’m not going to be ready in time for the competition!” Chiyo snapped, turning towards her mother. Class had ended well over an hour ago and it was getting late. On a school night. “Can’t I just skip out on this competition and try again for the next one?”_

_Ryou held her arms over her chest. “Sure,” she said curtly. “Skip this competition. Don’t blame me if your coach doesn’t want to continue training you for it.”_

Chiyo could feel herself shaking from her very bones. Her shoulders rose and lowered rapidly as she got herself worked up and her breathing became erratic. Head lowered slightly, she glared through her bangs. 

That man was the one who should have been arrested. And yet she was, because he was in a position of power, and he was clearly abusing it. Because of that power her own parents were willing to kiss his ass and ask for forgiveness instead of siding with their own daughter. Because of that power people who knew her and should have known Chiyo’s character simply decided she was guilty of everything the man claimed.

What did it matter if Chiyo was a decent student before all this? What did it matter if she was an obedient girl? As soon as Chiyo ‘did’ something wrong, that was it for her and the life she knew. 

Sojiro told her she needed to obey the laws set by society, which she did… a lot of good that did. Society turned it’s back on Chiyo, so why shouldn’t she turn her back on society? Wasn’t that how the world worked? You either have the power or your someone else’s plaything?

The guard grabbed Sakamoto by the collar. He was lifted as high as the guard could reach, sword still pointed at him. Despite his struggling, Sakamoto could not get himself free.

No.

No. Despite everything, Chiyo wasn’t mistaken.

But fucking hell, was she _sick_ of everyone talking to her like she was!

No sooner had she made her resolve, the ache in Chiyo’s head intensified. She threw her head back, yelling out; this wasn’t just a headache. Surely this had to be the sort of pain that could kill a person. Chiyo struggled against the guard's grip, wanting so desperately to bring her hands to her head in an attempt to sooth the pain.

_“So,”_ the voice said over Chiyo’s struggle, _“you finally decided to stop acting scared. Very well. Vow to me, and I can help you start acting furious! Show those fools what happens when they push the downtrodden to the brink!”_

The guttural scream Chiyo let out must have rattled her ribcage. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She just wanted to make it stop, but she couldn’t even do anything but flail around to the best of her ability and scream.

_“I am thou, thou art I…Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of the will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!”_

Between sweat and tears, Chiyo felt drenched, her bangs clung to her forehead. She felt light-headed, the pain dulled, her breathing had not calmed at all. Before her, Kamoshida brought an arm down, barking, “Execute him!”

“All right, shithead, games over,” rasped Chiyo.

Freezing for a moment, Kamoshida peered over his shoulder at her. “What was that?”

“You heard me,” said Chiyo. “Shithead.”

With Kamoshida’s attention fully on Chiyo, the guard released Sakamoto, allowing him to slide onto the floor. “You desire to be killed that much?” Kamoshida asked, fixing his glare on her. “Fine! I’m fed up with your shit, anyway!”

With a gesture of the head, the guards released Chiyo’s shoulders. One of them brought their shields down on Chiyo, throwing her off her feet were it not for the second guard. She was pinned back against the wall, the guards holding a pair of lances each crisscrossed them under her chin. Sakamoto struggled to get back on his feet and do something, but no matter how hard he tried, he always ended up back on the floor.

Kamoshida gave the third guard the signal to strike. And though the world had become a mass of shapes and colors without her glasses, Chiyo could still make out the guard raising his sword. A sudden… pulse, caused her to throw her head back, eyes wide from the shock of it all. The wind suddenly picked up, though there wasn’t a draft in the cell. Chiyo could vaguely feel her bangs licking the sides of her face. 

When the… wind died down the guards lowered their lances slightly. Chiyo lowered her head, feeling something weighing down on her face. Whatever it was, it was far heavier than her glasses. Confused, her hands went up to her face, feeling the hard material over her eyes and the bridge of her nose. 

A mask?

Instinctively, she tried pulling at the edge, feeling the effect on her face, like the mask was fused to her skin. Despite the pain it caused her to even do just that, something in her was telling her, yelling at her, to pull it off. Yank it with all she had inside her. Obeying the call, Chiyo dug her fingers under the edge, releasing painful groans all the while. With all her strength, she pulled off the mask, screaming. 

Blood flew out around her, splattering at her feet, it oozed down her face painting it red. The initial pain dissipated, replaced with an odd sense of euphoria. Her breathing finally calmed, Chiyo felt a smile tug at her lips. This feeling… she could have gotten drunk on it, it was that amazing. Chiyo was breathing, really breathing for the first time in her life. She could take on the world several times over, and she would win. She wanted to shout her name to the heavens, make the world know the storm was coming. 

This… This had to be what rebirth felt like. What control felt like. Her life, _her_ life, the life lived by Kusakabe Chiyo, would no longer be dictated by anyone. Not the law. Not Sojiro. Not Kamoshida. And certainly not the man responsible for her criminal record. She wasn’t just a girl, she was a storm. And Chiyo could not wait to unleash her power.

White flames suddenly appeared around Chiyo’s person, licking her clothes and skin painlessly. The flames soon consumed her being altogether; an orange-red grin appeared, visible amongst the flames.

A low sultry chuckle echoed around the cell, the flames rose up from Chiyo’s body, taking shape into a vaguely human form. A tall figure stood behind Chiyo donning a long, red Inverness cape. A black vest fitted around its midsection, its legs booted, and likewise black. A black tricorn hat donned the top of its head. Ethereal chains wrapped around the beings upper body, appearing and fading as they circled around the creature, the ends somehow hung free, hovering, as though attached to Chiyo’s wrists and ankles.

The girl in question had not gone unchanged either. Her Shujin uniform had been replaced with a black coat with a wide collar. The coat was closed from the collar to the end of her bust, everything from her bust down was left open, revealing the charcoal-grey vest and black slacks underneath. Red gloves covered her hands, matching the red underlining of the coat. 

Chiyo’s ever-present, mischievous grin played upon her lips. She lifted her arms, as though she were trying to jump out and take someone half-heartedly by surprise. But in perfect unison, a pair of black wings appeared from the creature’s back. A sudden burst of power sent the guards flying backward.

Kamoshida, about ready to prove Chiyo’s prediction right and piss himself, scampered off, nearly tripping over himself in his escape. Sakamoto, on the other hand, sat dumbfounded, unable to believe what was happening, and that the shy transfer student was at the center of it. It was like she became a different person altogether.

The figure behind Chiyo declared in it‘s feminine, commanding voice, _“I am the pillager of twilight - ‘Arsene’!”_

“What the…” Sakamoto’s voice raised a couple of octaves, still unable to make heads or tails of any of this.

_“I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you,”_ the creature, Arsene, explained to Chiyo. _“If you so desire, I shall grant you the power to break through this crisis.”_

Chiyo looked forward, one of the guards struggled to rise to their feet, and she had every reason to believe they would. She looked back up at Arsene, offering her dominant hand towards it. “Please… grant me your power!”

The sound Arsene made, sound pleased with Chiyo’s answer. _“Very well…”_

“Who the hell are you?!” Kamoshida shouted from the cell door, safely away from the commotion. “Guards!”

Obediently the nearest guard shot up to its feet. Kamoshida gestured to Chiyo. “Start by killing that bitch!” The guard’s bodies started twitching, their forms suddenly changed to a couple of Jack-o-Lanterns wearing indigo witch caps with a matching robe. “About time you learn the true strength of my men!”

Chiyo tossed her arm forward at the creature. “Arsene!”

Arsene spread its wings. Beneath one of the creatures a circle opened, red and black energy shot out, consuming the creature. When the energies died out, it struggled to stay afloat, it ultimately fell, disappearing in a black haze. Behind Chiyo, Arsene disappeared, it‘s job done for the time being; the white domino mask appeared back on her face. 

Instinctively, Chiyo reached into her coat. She found a thin pocket on the left side where a thin black wand was nestled. She took the stick into her hand, a red ribbon produced itself the farther back Chiyo pulled the wand. A gymnastics ribbon?

She circled her wrist several times making the ribbon circle and dance about. When Chiyo was sure the ribbon was out in its entirety. She pushed herself off into a pirouette, twirling around once, twice. Circling around for the third time, Chiyo planted her feet down and threw her arm forward. The ribbon snapped forward, suddenly as though it weighed more than it did. Further, the ribbon actually cut into the creature. Much like its fellow, the creature twitched before it fell to the floor before it disappeared into a black haze.

“What was that just now?” Sakamoto asked, his voice at a slight high pitch.

“I dunno,” Chiyo said, studying her appearance. 

Kamoshida was livid after that display. He stomped straight up to Chiyo, which, after what he just witnessed, she had to wonder if it was really a sage idea. “You little-!”

Sakamoto cut him off by tackling into him. Kamoshida fell off his feet and managed to drop a keyring. Sakamoto’s previous bravado was back as he shouted, “How do you like that, you son of a bitch?!”

“Quick, grab the key!” Chiyo ordered.

Sakamoto let out a slight squeak as he quickly bent down to grab the key ring, then he grabbed his and Chiyo‘s school bags. Chiyo sprinted out of the cell with Sakamoto at her heels. Together they grabbed the cell door and pushed it close. Sakamoto locked the door, then hurled the key in a random direction. “So what was all that?” Sakamoto repeated, facing Chiyo. “I mean that fire, that thing, your clothes!”

Chiyo shrugged, giving Sakamoto a lopsided grin. Before either of them knew it, similar blue flames erupted, consuming Chiyo’s being again. When they died down, she was back in her Shujin uniform; even her glasses were back on her face, much to her relief. “Oh, come on,” Chiyo mumbled miserably. Couldn’t she have kept the new clothes a little longer?

“Goddamn, brats!” Kamoshida roared, reaching his hands through the bars.

Sakamoto nearly jumped out of his skin. “I think that’s our cue to go,” said Chiyo.

“Yeah, screw this joint,” Sakamoto said. He passed Chiyo her bag and proceeded to lace his own over his shoulders so he wore it like a backpack.

Chiyo laced her own bag over her left shoulder. Wherever they were, they had to be near water judging by the stream along the line of cells. But at the same time, Chiyo had the feeling they were underground; there were no windows, no source of light outside of metal chandlers with purple fires inside. Chiyo surveyed the area, there was a door to the left, metal and barred. However to the right was a dead end and a bridge that lead across the reservoir.

“This way,” Chiyo said, lightly tugging at Sakamoto’s sleeve. “Come on!”

Chiyo crouched down beside rotting crates with Sakamoto. Across the reservoir, a small handful of guards sprinted in the opposite direction, likely for the cell Kamoshida was locked up in. And odds were, one of them had a spare key on their person to allow him out. 

They were hardly on the run for five minutes before they caught sight of the guards and they hadn’t even set foot outside the dungeons. Sakamoto asked, “You don’t think they’re lookin’ for us, do you?” 

“They will be after they get Kamoshida out that cell,” Chiyo said in a hushed tone. Her act dropped until they could get out of here. “All in all I’d say yes.”

Frustrated, Sakamoto raked his hands through his hair, letting out a groan. “I ain’t playin’ along with this anymore! There’s gotta be a way outta this goddamn place!”

“I know. But unless we can get out of this dungeon, we’re fucked.”

“Hey, you there.”

Chiyo cocked a brow. “You say something?”

Sakamoto shrugged.

“Behind you.”

In unison, the two turned around, looking straight into the cell behind them. A small black cat-like creature stood on two legs in one of the cells. It’s large, round head was comically sized compared to the rest of its body. It had a black mask, a utility belt around it’s waist, and a yellow neckerchief around it’s neck. That was it. Black fur covered most of it’s being, save for the forelegs, and roughly where the knee was. There was white fur on the tip of the tail, the inside of the ears, and under the black mask. The creature’s big blue eyes stood out against its mask and fur.

The cat kept its front paws on the bars, locked in the cell. “What is that thing?!” Sakamoto asked.

“A cat?” Chiyo shrugged, unsure how else she was supposed to answer.

“I am _not_ a cat!” the creature said with a boyish voice. “Say that again and I’ll make you regret it!”

“Can’t really do that from where your standing…”

“Right. So can you help me out?”

“We’re trying to get the hell out of here!” Sakamoto snapped back. “I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!”

“I’m locked up here, so how can I be your enemy?!” the creature argued. “Just help me!”

In the distance, Chiyo could hear someone yelling, Kamoshida perhaps. No doubt he was furious over the turn of events and calling for two heads to roll. “Shit, they’re going to catch us at this rate,” hissed Sakamoto.

“Oh, you’re looking for an exit?” the creature asked, his ears twitched curiously. “Let me out and I’ll take you there. You don’t want to get caught and executed, do you?”

Chiyo bit the bed of her thumb, mulling over their options. They would end up running around in circles without help. And that was assuming they didn’t run into the guards again. What were the odds of Arsene and the resulting chaos would happen again? Chiyo wasn’t even sure how it started in the first place. “We don’t have a choice,” she relented. She pointed a finger straight at the cat. “But I swear if you’re lying-”

“I never go back on my word!” the cat argued. “I want out of this cell as much as you two want out of here.”

Sakamoto leaned close to Chiyo. “You sure about this?” he asked. “This thing looks all talk.”

“Sure, go on about on your own,” said the cat, “you were doing so well before.”

Chiyo looked over her shoulder, by the drawbridge was a thick wooden post. And on that post was a key ring with half-a-dozen rusty key’s dangling from it. If that was really the cell key… Chiyo didn’t even know. The stupidity of it was astronomical. Regardless of her feelings on the matter, she grabbed the key ring and tried out two keys before the lock tumbled open.

The cat pushed the door open with a creak, allowing it to toddle out. Its ears twitched happily. “Freedom never felt so good,” he said with a content sigh.

“Great, now, where’s the exit, monster cat?!” Sakamoto demanded impatiently.

“Don’t call me a cat! I am Morgana!”

“Worry about that later!” Chiyo snapped before Sakamoto could strike back. “We need to get moving!”

“This way!” Morgana ordered, taking off so fast the two humans could barely see his legs moving.

_‘Why did it have to be my class?’_ Kawakami asked herself for the umpteenth time that day.

It was fourth period already and Kusakabe never showed up for class. Her wish ended up coming true for the time being. Though Kawakami wasn’t exactly banking on it actually happening.

She called Kusakabe’s caretaker the first chance she got, and he did not sound happy. Especially since he said Kusakabe left with enough time to get to school on her own. Now here she was, in the faculty office while the students were on break, mulling over the next best course of action.

“Should I just contact the police?” Kawakami asked no one in particular. She shook her head exasperated. “No, that’ll just be more of a hassle…”

Sighing again, she raked a hand through her bangs. What did she do to deserve this?

Despite everything that happened today, Chiyo had to chalk up following Morgana as the strangest of them. Following a bipedal talking cat that was barely up to Chiyo’s knee. But Morgana proved useful as he successfully got them out of the dungeon. However, trouble soon reared it’s ugly head when a guard came into view.

Sakamoto tripped over himself at the sight of them. The guard turned to find the odd group, and instantly, Chiyo found herself coated in cool colored flames that died down to reveal the clothes and mask from earlier that appeared on her body. The guard broke apart into two creatures, the Jack-o-lantern Chiyo faced earlier, and a small, red demon. 

“Amateur,” Morgana scoffed, using Ryuji to get some elevation and leap into action. “You stay where you are.” He turned his gaze to Chiyo. “You can fight, right? Let’s go! Come… Zorro!”

In a flash, a black, vaguely human creature appeared at Morgana’s side. Completely black in color and barrel-chested, the creature carried a silver-grey rapier in its large hand. “N-No way,” stuttered Sakamoto, “you have one of those things too?!”

Morgana crossed his arms over his chest and smiled confidently. “We will promptly shut them up!”

Chiyo bounced gently on the balls of her feet, her ribbon held at the ready in her hand. Morgana stood at her side, a curved sword held in his paw. “Damn Shadows,” Morgana cursed under his breath. “Those Jack-o-lantern’s and devils aren’t too difficult, but they’re all over the place down here, so they’re a nuisance more than anything.”

The creature Morgana called Zorro slashed it’s rapier in a ‘Z’ shape, slashing at he Jack-o-lantern. It vanished, leaving behind the red devil creature. Instinctively, Chiyo peeled her mask off, and sure enough, Arsene appeared at her side. It spread its wings, casting the same curse it used earlier on Incubus. It flinched, consumed by the curse, but when it died, the shadow struggled to stay afloat. “Not bad for an armature,” Morgana said as Arsene disappeared. “Your Persona’s pretty powerful.”

“Persona?” echoed Chiyo.

“I think it means that thing that comes outta you all dramatic-like,” Ryuji said half-jogging up to him.

“That much I got, but I don’t get what it is.”

“In short, it’s a facet of yourself,” explained Morgana. “Everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing your mask-”

Chiyo jumped, the flash of white fire consumed her once again, returning her to her school uniform. “Okay, why does that keep happening?!” Chiyo asked irritably.

“I‘d say you don‘t have full control over your power yet.” Morgana shrugged one shoulder half-heartedly. “The transformation shouldn’t normally dissolve like that. After all-”

Frustrated, Sakamoto raked his hands through his hair. “Rrgh, that’s enough! This crap doesn’t make any sense!”

“Can’t you just sit still and listen, Blondie?” snapped Morgana.

“Don’t call me Blondie! My name’s Ryuji-”

Chiyo felt her brow furrow irritably. “Can we all keep our heads here?! If we have to keep talking, can we do that while moving before were caught again?”

“Yeah,” agreed Morgana. “We shouldn’t be that far from the exit anyway. Let’s get a move on.”

Chiyo took off first with Morgana at her heels, leaving Sakamoto behind trying to figure out this transfer student. At first, she seemed like one of those fragile, shy girls who would rather avoid confrontation at all costs. But the way she’d talk back to Kamoshida, the way she was carrying herself now, taking charge, taking the lead. She didn’t need as much protection as Sakamoto initially thought. It really was like she was a different person.

He was wondering how long this dungeon went on for until they came upon a line of cells that lead to a closed drawbridge. He reckoned Morgana would have told them something had he not heard had someone moan out in pain. Skidding to a stop, Sakamoto peered into one of the cells to find a boy in a red tracksuit laying on the ground, withering in pain. “Hey, hold on a sec!”

“What is it?” questioned Chiyo.

“I feel like I’ve seen what this dude’s wearin’ before…” Sakamoto’s eyes wandered as he tried to figure where he’d seen it before. He felt as though it should have been obvious. Yelling out in frustration, he raked his hands through his hair. “Dammit! I’m too flustered, I can remember a damn thing!”

“Never mind that,” said Morgana. “We need to get going.”

“Hold on, dammit!”

“Have you forgotten you’re not out of the woods yet? We need to go, now!”

“But… what’re these guys doing here?”

“Do you really think you have time to worry about other people right now?!”

“Kind of!” snapped Chiyo. “Shouldn’t we try to-”

“They’re not even-”

“There they are!”

The drawbridge lowered, revealing one of Kamoshida’s guards. Chiyo sighed somewhat irritable as her clothes changed once again. “Guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

“At least you know when to stick to your guns,” commented Morgana. The guard twitched, transforming into a tiny fairy woman in a purple dress and boots. “This will hardly be a fight. Your Persona has an advantage against it. But if you don’t want to use it, it’s not that hard to take care of between the two of us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Chiyo readied her ribbon, two twirls, then she tossed her arm forward, straightening out the ribbon. It slashed into the fairy, tossing it up slightly. On it’s decent, Morgana was waiting for it with his curved sword. After another strike and it was down.

With the danger gone, Chiyo’s uniform returned. “Okay, let’s go,” ordered Morgana, “you should be able to get out soon.”

“Hold on,” Sakamoto called having stayed away from the danger by the jail cell. “We can’t just leave this guy here!”

Chiyo bit her knuckle, eyeing the fallen boy. Shouldn’t they try to help him out? If he couldn’t walk, then between the two of them Chiyo and Sakamoto should have been able to help usher him out. Morgana, however, scoffed, “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“You’re not really explaining all that much,” Chiyo argued. “I still don’t get what that whole magical girl transformation is about.”

Pausing for a moment, Morgana mulled over Chiyo’s words before he yelled out in frustration. “There’s no time to explain! I’m going. If you want to come too, you’re more than welcome.”

“Fine,” spat Sakamoto, “I’m coming!”

Across the drawbridge, Morgana lead the two up a flight of stairs that, in turn, lead to the foyer Chiyo and Ryuji had originally come in through when this madness started. They ran straight across the foyer, down a hall that wasn’t nearly as long as the wing they had just came from. “In here!” Morgana shouted, running into a room on the left-hand side.

Sakamoto breathed out, “Finally!”

The room through the door looked like an old storage room. Several bookshelves lined the back of the room, each one only carried a few books. A table sat in the middle of the room; the only light came from the torches on the wall. Above the bookshelves was a ventilation shaft with a wiry mesh closing it off. “Through there?” asked Chiyo. It certainly looked large enough for them to crawl through.

“Yup!” Morgana nodded. “It’ll lead you right outside.”

“Kay,” Sakamoto said, rotating his shoulder. “Just gotta get that mesh off.”

With a running start, Sakamoto climbed up the bookshelf, safely pulling himself up. He grabbed a hold of the mesh and yanked it off. Unfortunately, it was heavier than either one of them could have guessed. He overbalanced and ended up toppling over off the shelf with the mesh still in his hands. “You alright?!” Chiyo asked, suddenly cold with panic.

Ryuji landed against the side of the bookshelf, legs in the air. Thankfully, the mesh hadn’t landed on him. He rolled himself over onto his knees. “Oww… yeah,” he groaned, dusting himself off. “The enemy didn’t hear us, did they?”

Chiyo list her head to the side. “Hard to say, but I’d say it’s foolish to think otherwise.”

“Curly Hair’s right,” said Morgana. “You should get going now.”

“But… what about you?” asked Sakamoto.

“There’s something that I still have to do. We’re going our separate ways from here.”

“Thank you very much,” Chiyo said, lowering herself into a bow. “Don’t get caught again.”

Morgana’s tail stiffened, his eyes wandered off to the side. “And here I was about to say that someone had manners. But after that, I don’t think I’m gonna.”

“I’m just saying…”

Morgana moaned, “Just go! Between the three of us, I’m the small one, I’m the one who’s harder to catch.”

Shrugging, Chiyo followed Sakamoto’s example and got a running start. Morgana watched silently as the school kids disappeared into the air vent. “Those two seem useful…” he said to himself.

They did not stop until they spotted the line of department stores. Sakamoto ended up bent over double, catching his breath while Chiyo scrutinized the area. The people were going as though nothing strange was going on in their own lives. _“You have returned to the real world,”_ said a mechanical, though still feminine, voice from Chiyo’s pocket. She pulled her phone out as it finished the message with, _“Welcome back.”_

Chiyo arched her brow, she repeated, “‘Real world?’”

“So we made it out, then?” Ryuji asked as he stood himself up straight.

“I… think?”

“What was all that anyway? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat!”

“I don’t know,” Chiyo shrugged, “Morgana sounded like he had answers for us, but decided it was easier to keep us mostly in the dark.”

Sakamoto list his head to the right, unsatisfied with Chiyo’s answer. “The hell happened back there?!”

“What’s with the yelling? You two Shujin students?”

Chiyo jumped slightly at the sight of a couple of police officers making their way towards them. Instantly she lowered her gaze, allowing the library girl to take over again. “Cutting classes, are we?” asked one of the officers.

“N-No, sir,” said Chiyo. “W-we just… uh…”

It was only now dawning on Chiyo how late for class the two of them were. Granted, trying to get out of that mess alive was Chiyo’s priority. But now that the danger had passed… There was no way she could explain what happened without coming across as making up a half-baked story. “No!” Sakamoto shouted, his voice cracking slightly. “We were tryin’ to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!”

‘Sakamoto-kun…’ Chiyo thought ruefully as she lowered her head farther down.

The officers exchanged looks with each other before eyeing Chiyo and Sakamoto again. “Hand over your bag,” ordered the officer. “You better not be doing any drugs.”

“Why would you think that?!” shot Sakamoto.

The second officer glanced straight at Chiyo. He must have noticed how uncomfortable and frightened Chiyo was behaving as he had taken a far kinder tone with her. At least compared to his co-worker. “Are you his friend?” he asked politely.

“S-Something like that,” Chiyo replied quietly.

Slack-jawed Sakamoto stared at Chiyo. Her shoulders were hunched, making herself seem small. Her hands were held together by the strap of her bag. And her gaze was held to the ground while her eyes were wide, silently pleading for the officers to just turn around and forget about them. And just like that, Chiyo was a different person again.

“Look,” the first, more aggressive officer spoke up. “If you spout any more nonsense, I’ll contact your school. Now, turn around and get to class.”

“Y-Yes sir,” Chiyo said quietly. She tugged at Sakamoto’s sleeve, gesturing for him to follow her. “C-Come on we don’t want to be late…er…”

Sakamoto’s gaze traveled from the officers, back to Chiyo as she forced him to follow her. Wasn’t this the same girl who spat in Kamoshida’s face and called him a shithead? The contrast between that girl and this girl in front of him was… kind of jarring, to say the least.

Kodaira Oroku, director of the Special Investigations Unit, sat at his desk. His hands perched together as he pondered over the recent events following, yet another, subway accident this morning. “A Minister of Transport announcing his resignation,” he muttered. A smile tugged on his lips as he chuckled to himself, “Things are going as planned…”

“Is this for real?” asked Sakamoto.

Going back down the exact same path they originally went down brought them to Shujin Academy. The very same blocky school they were originally trying to get to in the first place. There was no sign of the castle or any sign of the creatures inside it. 

Sakamoto glanced back over his shoulder. “I’m sure we came the same way… What’s goin’ on here…?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to ask you,” a man said, striding down the stairway leading from the door. 

The man wore a charcoal-colored suit and wore his hair neat and orderly. His brow, however, was furrowed, highlighting the age lines on his face. “We received a call from the police.”

Instantly, Sakamoto glanced down at the ground, kicking at a pebble in front of him. “Damn cop snitched on us after all,” he hissed.

“It’s rare not to see you alone, Sakamoto-kun,” the counselor said snidely. “Couldn’t find yourself a girlfriend who can keep you in line?”

Chiyo’s head lowered. “We ain’t dating!” Sakamoto shot back.

“Then would you mind telling me where you were roaming around this whole time?”

“Uh… a ca- a castle?” Sakamoto offered, slowly realizing how incredulous it sounded.

“Is that what the kids are calling those love hotels these days?” the counselor asked, eyeing Chiyo as he spoke. 

She broke character for a moment, her brow furrowing. _‘Don’t play dumb. We both know what you’re thinking!’_

“No!” Sakamoto’s voice cracked once again as his face flushed. “A castle, castle. Y’know like one straight outta a-”

“What’s this about a ‘castle?’” said a new voice.

A familiar man approached the counselor, as opposed to the Speedo the duo had last seen him in, he now wore a white t-shirt and track pants. “Kamoshida?!” Sakamoto jumped slightly.

“You seem so carefree, Sakamoto,” Kamoshida said, taking on an entirely different tone than he had at the castle. Were they even the same person? “Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team.”

“Shuddup!” Sakamoto snapped, causing Chiyo’s heart to leap out of her chest. “It’s your fault that-”

“How dare you speak that way to Kamoshida-sensei!” the counselor snapped back. “There’s not much leeway left for you, you know?”

“He’s the one that provoked me!”

“Do you really want to be expelled?!” The counselor exhaled and gestured over his shoulder. “In any case, you’ll have to explain yourself. Follow me.”

“What?! This is bullshit!”

“Come now,” Kamoshida said almost jovially as he turned to his coworker. “I should have been more considerate, too. Let’s just say that we were both to blame.”

“Well…” the counselor pondered. “If you say so.” He glanced straight back at Sakamoto. “Sill, you’re coming with me. It’s undeniable that you’re extremely late.”

“Fine,” murmured Sakamoto.

Kamoshida’s gaze fell upon Chiyo, who was biting on her knuckle, the wheels in her head turning as she turned her gaze from Sakamoto to the teachers when each spoke as though she were watching a tennis match. “You’re that new transfer student, yes?” He asked her. “Kusakabe Chiyo?”

“Y-yes,” Chiyo said meekly.

“Let’s go, Sakamoto,” the counselor ordered.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’.”

Sakamoto shoved his hands in his pockets as he traveled upstairs after him. Crossing paths with Kamoshida he delivered one of the harshest glares he could manage. Making his piece, he continued after the counselor.

Left alone with Kamoshida, Chiyo simply stared for a moment, her hands once again holding the front straps of her bag. 

Kamoshida now understood what Kawakami meant about Kusakabe not looking the part of the criminal. But damn was she nice to look at. Wasn't she a dancer or something like that in her hometown? And why did she look so familiar? “Have we met somewhere?” Kamoshida asked at length.

“Th-This morning,” Chiyo stuttered, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Hm? Oh, right. At the station. Well, I’ll overlook this just for today. I’m sure you’ve heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you’ll be expelled. Understand?”

“Yes…”

“At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I’m sure Kawakami-sensei’s tired of waiting.”

Not wasting anytime Chiyo trotted upstairs. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going to have to put everything that happened behind her for another couple of hours. Chiyo wasn’t sure what she could expect in there. It would be foolish to think this little stunt would go untalked about. Likewise, it would have been foolish to think there wouldn’t be any whispers about her arrest charges and alleged compensated dating.

She may as well be diving head-first into a tank of sharks.

_“The school… turned into an old castle?” Niijima asked incredulously. “And there was a talking cat?”_

_Chiyo sighed. “I told you, it was outrageous.”_

_“I’d say it’s more than just ‘outrageous.’ Are you sure you’re not hallucinating from the drugs?”_

_“I’m sure I’m not.”_

_“I won’t put up with you if you’re simply joking around.”_

_“And what do I get from joking around?” Chiyo crossed her arms over her chest. “As unbelievable as it sounds, I know what’s at stake here. No matter what happens in my story I’m locked away with the key thrown away at best or I’m killed at worst. So, I’ll ask again, what do I get from joking around?”_

_Niijima, likewise, had her arms crossed over her chest. A silence fell upon them as the elder of the two registered what Chiyo had just said. She loosened one arm to peek at her wristwatch. “I’m going to have you continue the story,” she said at length._

_Chiyo raised a brow. “Changing the subject?”_

_Seemingly ignoring her Niijima readied one of several case files. “The one who received a ‘calling card’ from the Phantom Thieves was an Olympic medalist,” Niijima continued. She laid out one of the calling cards in question, and a photograph. “An alumnus from Shujin Academy - the PE teacher Kamoshida Suguru.”_

_Chiyo’s brow twitched. “It’s true that what he did were deplorable crimes from…” Niijima paused for a moment. “Indulging his desire.”_

_‘Indulging his desire.’ The words repeated themselves over and over in her head. In her mind's eye, she saw a girl laying broken on the ground. She saw Kamoshida grinning to himself while she felt her rage boil with each word he said. She saw a boy in her class visibly beaten up. She saw a girl from her class knelt down on the floor, hugging her knees._

_“You saw his case file right?” Chiyo asked through her teeth. “His confession? You should fucking know why already!”_

_Niijima snapped back, “I want to hear it from you!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I spent a good thirty minutes trying to find out the proper name for an ‘Inverness coat.’ Like, I’d seen it many times before, but had no name for it. But then I found out I could have saved myself the trouble by typing something along the line of ‘the coat worn by classic Sherlock Holmes’ into Google. Was not happy about that…
> 
> Arsene’s quote about ‘stop acting scared, start acting furious’ is paraphrased from _Ava’s Demon,_ a web comic I highly recommend.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, I’m going to start putting up trigger warnings. They are most certainly going to be abundant in this arc but will not be absent in the subsequent arcs.

**Trigger Warning: Slight sexual harassment and a grown man oogaling/fantasizing about underage girl**

**Chapter Three  
Hear**

_“Doesn’t anybody think that I can hear? I hear!_  
 _‘Specially when I got them screaming in my ear, I hear!”_  
\- “Carrie,” Carrie the Musical

**Monday, April 11th**

“Drinking, smoking, theft, compensated dating… I heard that girl’s done it all.”

“They say she pulled a knife on her would-be client.”

“I thought she just straight up killed him when he rejected her.”

“Kusakabe-chan?”

Chiyo nearly jumped out of her skin as a third-year student approached her. Her brown hair was done in a bob with blunt bangs. She wore her uniform neat and orderly, not a wrinkle in place on the blazer, not a pleat out of line on her skirt. “Y-yes?” Chiyo said meekly.

“I’m Niijima Makoto, student counsel president at Shujin Academy,” the girl introduced, gesturing to herself. “I was initially asked to help you find your way around the school if you needed it. But now I’ve been tasked with leading you straight to the faculty office. Do you have any idea how late you are?”

“I do…”

“I’m giving you a warning now, if this becomes a regular thing, you’ll be expelled before you know it.”

Niijima gestured for Chiyo to follow her. More whispers followed them, or rather Chiyo, upstairs to the second floor. Keeping up with appearances, Chiyo hunched her shoulders, holding onto the front straps of her bag as she kept her eyes on Niijima.

The pair walked into the faculty office before too long, Chiyo let out a sigh through her nose. She wondered if Kawakami had a full speech prepared for her. Inside Chiyo spotted several staff members doing their own thing. Some spoke with their student, and then there was Kawakami in her designated area. Niijima cleared her throat, making the pair know. “Kawakami-sensei,” Niijima spoke up. “Kusakabe-chan has finally arrived.”

Kawakami glanced up, her brow furrowing slightly. “Thank you, Niijima-san,” Kawakami stood up, “you may go.”

Niijima lowered her head slightly before she walked out of the office, leaving Chiyo with Kawakami. “Unbelievable,” her teacher said through a sigh. “Being over half a day late on your first day? Can you explain yourself?”

Why should she bother? Even if Chiyo did have a far more believable story, odds were Kawakami wouldn’t accept it. “I-I got lost,” Chiyo said meekly.

“How could you have been lost for this long? It’s almost lunchtime.” Kawakami paused for a moment. “Well, it’s probably true that you’re not used to the area yet… but you’re still way too late. You could have easily called the school or Sakura-san. This better not be a regular thing from you, you were given a fair warning yesterday. More importantly… I heard you were caught along with that Sakamoto-kun?”

Chiyo broke character. “ _‘That’_ Sakamoto?”

“Don’t get involved with him, okay?” Kawakami said simply. “He’s nothing but trouble and you’re on thin ice already. Anyway, break’s almost over. Classes will end after fifth period today because of the subway accident. I’ll have you introduce yourself when class resumes.”

Chiyo nodded before Kawakami stood up. She followed her out of the room and down the hall. “By the way,” Kawakami said as the walked, “when you introduce yourself… Be serious about it even if you’re lying to the class, okay. Don’t say…” she paused for a moment, twirling her hand and small circles like she was trying to weave the words together. “Don’t say _anything_ unnecessary.”

_‘Don’t say anything about your “ clients,”’_ Chiyo thought snidely.

“I won’t,” she murmured out loud.

“Being super late on her first day? She really is insane…”

“She looks normal though.”

“Idiot, that’s how you lure someone into a false sense of security. She’ll probably slug you if you look her in the eye.”

“Settle down,” Kawakami said, silencing the chatter amongst the class. She gestured to Chiyo at her side. “I’d like to introduce a transfer student; Kusakabe Chiyo. Today, we… had her attend class from the afternoon on since she wasn’t feeling well this morning.”

“Does Kawakami seriously believe we buy that? Everyone says she came to school with Sakamoto.”

“Wait, so _Sakamoto_ of all people actually scored?”

“So she doesn’t have standards, then?”

“Alright, settle down,” Kawakami said. She turned her gaze to Chiyo. “Please say something to the class.”

“I-I’m Kusakabe Chiyo.” She lowered herself into a respectful bow. “N-N-Nice to me-meet you.”

“ _She’s_ into compensated dating?”

“It’s an act. Probably a ploy to draw in clients and the like. I hear some older men are into that sort of thing.”

“Think that’s how she lured in the sap she attacked?”

“Probably.”

Sighing, Kawakami pinched the bridge of her nose. “So… Your seat will be…” She glanced towards the only empty seat in the room by the window. “Over there. The one that’s open. Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with Kusakabe for today?”

Obediently, Chiyo lowered her head and headed towards the open seat. Her eyes traveled upward for a moment when she spotted the very same blonde girl with the heavily altered uniform from the station. “What a load,” she whispered under her breath.

“Huh?” murmured Chiyo.

The girl looked away. 

Shaking her head, Chiyo dropped her bag beside the desk and took her seat. The girl seated at her right turned around in her own seat to speak with her friend. “Did you catch that? Do those two know each other?”

“Don’t girl’s like that tend to stick together? She’s probably trying to get Kusakabe-san to show Takamaki-san her clientele.”

“That means she’s cheating on Kamoshida-sensei. Well, then again, this is Takamaki-san we’re talking about…”

“For real. That side of the room is totally awful.”

As though it were her second nature, Takamaki turned her gaze to the gossiping girls. One of them gasped when they realized she was watching them and instantly looked down at her desk. 

“Remember the volleyball rally’s in two days,” announced Kawakami. “Everyone’s just changed classes, so make sure you use that time to get to know each other. Now let’s get started. Who’s on duty today?”

A boy, lacking the blazer, but still wearing the polo shirt and proper pants, stood up. “Everyone, please rise…”

After class let out for the day, Chiyo shrugged her bag over her shoulder and readjusted her glasses despite no need for it. In her mind's eye, the hall morphed into a stone hallway with a lush carpeting. Panicking slightly, Chiyo almost yanked her glasses off to rub her eyes. “Is something wrong?” she heard.

Turning around, and placing her glasses on, Chiyo found Kawakami standing just outside of the doorway of her classroom. “We‘re still in the school, right?” Chiyo asked breaking character. 

“Are you sure you’re okay? Regardless, it seems like people are already talking about you. I suppose I can’t say I’m surprised, but I wouldn’t have expected it to spread to the first and third years _this_ soon.” Kawakami groaned. “I can’t even catch a break… Why do I have to deal with this?”

_‘Yeah, who cares about the subject of these rumors?’_

“Anyway,” Kawakami sighed, “you should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry. And about Sakamoto-kun, don’t get involved-”

Chiyo wanted to argue, not only that Kawakami had already told her the same thing before, but she never gave Chiyo an explanation of why Sakamoto was a troublemaker. But Sakamoto walked up to the pair before Chiyo could even contemplate what she wanted to say. “Speak of the devil,” muttered Kawakami. “What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes today. And you haven’t dyed your hair back to black either…”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Sakamoto said coldly. He moved towards Chiyo, saying just loud enough for her to hear, “I’ll be waitin’ on the rooftop.’

Sakamoto walked off towards the stairs leading to the third floor before Kawakami could grill him any further. “See?” she asked, stealing Chiyo’s attention back. “That’s why I don’t want you getting involved. Understood?”

_‘Not really…’_

“Just… come to class and stay out of trouble…”

Kawakami headed off towards the faculty office. No sooner had she disappeared, Kamoshida and Kobyakawa walked up from the stairway. “Why did you allow a student like that to transfer here?” Kamoshida asked. “She’s already started associating with Sakamoto. A student with a criminal record, and the culprit of an assault case, no less, with an unsavory history of dating. At this rate, it’d be pointless how much I contribute to the school.”

“Now, don’t be like that,” Kobyakawa said sympathetically. “This school counts on you, Kamoshida-kun. You are our star. Still, a steady build-up is necessary behind such brilliance as well.”

“Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Principal Kobayakawa? All right, I understand. I’ll continue to do my best to answer your expectations of me.”

Were all prep school’s this image-obsessed?

Circling herself around once, Chiyo spotted a familiar face from class, the boy who wore his uniform without the blazer. His hair was a short, spiky dark blue color, and he looked… fairly miserable. There were a few healing bruises and scratches on his face, a green bruise on his left arm. Chiyo honestly wasn’t sure if she should approach him, but he was the only one who wasn’t looking away whenever she looked in their direction. “Excuse me,” Chiyo said, walking up to him. 

He looked up is eyes retracting slightly as soon as he spotted Chiyo. Immediately, he forced his gaze away from her. “I-Is there something you want from me?” he asked.

“I was… just wondering if you could tell me where the rooftop is?”

Relief washed over his face. Was he expecting Chiyo to just beat the tar out of him? “Oh… that’s all?” he asked. “Just keep going upstairs until you find the storage room.”

“All right, thank you.”

She waved goodbye before she headed upstairs. Heading to the third floor Chiyo found eyes followed her. It shouldn’t have surprised Chiyo at all if the first-years were wary of her. She did her best to ignore the whispers and stares opting to keep her eyes open and find the storage room. Until she felt something her backside, below her waist. Something felt strangely like a hand.

Brow raising Chiyo whipped around just in time to catch a boy receiving high-fives and claps on the back from his friends. Even congratulating him. One of the boys spotted Chiyo staring at him. She didn’t hear what he said to his friends, but the group turned and noticed Chiyo. They started tripping over themselves in an attempt to run.

Head down, she headed to the storage room. 

_“Did you just-?!”_

_“I’m just playing. Relax.”_

Standing in the middle of the storage room, Chiyo pressed a balled hand against her forehead, repeatedly telling herself not to cry. 

She bit her lower lip, suddenly wondering if Sakamoto was aiming to see how true the rumors were. Was he any different than that boy who grabbed her ass? She shook her head, realizing she was worrying over nothing. Sakamoto tried to help her when the other Kamoshida was looking at her.

Pulling the door open, Chiyo a few desks and a couple of chairs, one of which Sakamoto sat upon. On one of the desks, a number of potted saplings were placed, getting just enough sun. “There you are,” Sakamoto said in greeting. “Sorry for callin’ you up here like this. I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like ‘don’t get involved with him,’ huh?”

“Well, little does she know, she’s kinda late for that, so I don’t really care what she says.”

Sakamoto chuckled to himself. “Well, I guess we are in the same boat after all.”

“Huh?”

“I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone’s talking about your assault charge and… uh… the compensated dating. Among other things…” Quickly, Sakamoto held his hands up. “I ain’t judging.”

Scoffing, Chiyo took a seat at the edge of one of the desks, crossing her arms over her chest. “Though, some of them rumors might’ve explained why you got so gutsy,” added Sakamoto.

Gutsy? Well, if that wasn’t a first. “In all seriousness though,” Chiyo lowered her arms, “you wanted to talk about what happened, right?”

“You sayin’ you don’t?” Sakamoto leaned forward in his chair. “I mean, what was all that? We could’ve died in that castle…”

“Actually, I think we could’ve died several ways,” Chiyo muttered under her breath. 

“Yeah… You really saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah… Thanks, Chiyo.”

Chiyo’s face suddenly flushed, a little overwhelmed by Ryuji’s gratitude and being referred to by name at the same time. Doing a good deed without it blowing up in her face, or at least the damage was not nearly as bad as the last time Chiyo did the right thing, it brought along the warm butterflies in her stomach. “You’re welcome…. R-Ryuji.”

Ryuji’s shoulders shook as he let out a brief chuckle. His eyes traveled to the side for a moment. “But man, that Kamoshida we saw there…” He looked back at Chiyo. “Back there he called himself the king of the castle, but it really don’t feel that far from the truth out here. I wonder if we can go back to that castle again…”

Chiyo couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. “You admitted that we almost died in that castle, yet you want to go back?” she asked teasingly.

A look Chiyo could not name flashed in Ryuji’s eyes for a moment before he stood up. “Y’know, you’re right. All that had to be a dream. Those monsters, a talkin' cat, that thing that showed up for you. What was I thinkin’, right?”

Reaching down to his right, Ryuji grabbed his bag. “Sorry to drag you out here like this.” He placed both arms through a loop each before shrugging the bag on his back. “That’s all I had to say. You know, we might be pretty similar.”

“You’ve been arrested and accused of compensated dating?” Chiyo asked jokily. But as soon as the words left her mouth, her heart sank. Maybe she shouldn’t be associating with Ryuji. Not because of what he could to do her, but what she could do to him. There were already a few whispers about the two of them thanks to this morning's circumstances. Maybe it was a good thing her history got out as fast as it did. If she made any friends here she may end up ruining their reputations.

“Not quite,” Ryuji shrugged, “I just feel like we’re gonna get along just fine as ‘troublemakers.’”

No, no, no, no! She didn’t want to drag Ryuji into her mess. “A-Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked. “I mean if you hang around with me…”

Ryuji stared at her for a moment before a look of realization form on his face. “It’s not like I’ve never been the subject of rumors before,” he said. “I stopped lettin’ it bother me a while ago.”

“But… this?”

“Well, no… But who cares? We know what’s goin’ on, right?”

Chiyo’s mouth dropped open for a moment. “I-I guess, but…”

“Then we shouldn’t have a problem. I’ll come talk if I see you around. So don’t ignore me, all right? Name’s Sakamoto Ryuji.”

“Kusakabe Chiyo…”

No matter how many times Kobayakawa explained it Kamoshida Suguru could not wrap his head around why. His volleyball team was doing loads for the school’s image. Admitting a known criminal, a known slut into their school… Well, Kobayakawa should not be surprised if and when she decided to cause trouble. 

Surely the principal should have been in this job long enough to know trouble was trouble no matter if the source of a boy or girl. 

That wasn’t to say Kusakabae was difficult on the eyes. There was no way Kusakabe was up there with Takamaki, but for a run of the mill Japanese girl, she was still impressive.

Drumming his fingers on his work desk, the student body was exploding with rumors surrounding Kusakabe. The basics were there, her attack on a man, and the exposure of her dating history. But there were a few things the student body either didn’t know nor cared to know, that he did. Kusakabe was a rhythmic gymnast.

Booting up his computer Kamoshida clicked onto his go-to search engine. He typed in ‘kusakabe chiyo gymnastics’ and clicked search. The first video Kamoshida pulled up was from two years ago, and it was amazing what two years could do to a person. Kusakabe wore one of those tiny, form-fitting leotards, the front was designed like cold fire. The leotard had a small skirt that barely covered her thighs. The backside of the outfit was made out of a nude colored material decorated with rhinestones. Her hair was out of her face, allowing Kamoshida to imagine what she looked like now without those glasses. 

The video went on, showing off Kusakabe’s prowess, Kamoshida was unable to look away. Watching Kusakabe fold her body in ways even Takamaki couldn’t. And… Fuck those legs, long compared to Kusakabe’s torso, but they had to be firm, they certainly looked shapely. And that ass…

The aching yearns that was plaguing him for last several days now was getting unbearable. And when Kamoshida thought of the men Kusakabe must have dated… _God!_

Chiyo felt like a normal kid on the rooftop with Ryuji. It amazed her how fast that feeling was replaced with dread as soon as she began her trek to Leblanc. She did not doubt that Sojiro had a lecture rehearsed for her. There wasn’t any way Chiyo could explain herself, not without seeming insane. 

If she acted like the innocent school girl at Shujin, should she just act like the delinquent around Sojiro? Wasn’t that what he was expecting out of her anyway? But, then again, if Chiyo took the act too far she would not put it past Sojiro to kick her out. 

The most Chiyo could hope for was a bit of business in the shop today, then maybe Sojiro would put off the lecture for an hour or so. That was far from the case when she arrived back at Leblanc. “I got an interesting call from your school today,” Sojiro said as soon as Chiyo walked through the door. “It’s only your first day and you’re already showing up hours late?”

“It was an accident,” Chiyo muttered.

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says.”

“Maybe because it’s true.”

“Look, just behave yourself tomorrow. Your life’s forfeit if anything happens. You understand the meaning of probation, right?”

“ _Noooo,_ ” Chiyo replied flippantly. “I only heard it like fifteen fucking times. Explain it to me once more, maybe it’ll stick this time.”

“I’ve just about had it with that attitude and I don’t appreciate that language!”

Chiyo could not help the roll of her eyes. Sojiro didn’t appreciate her language? There was a lot Chiyo didn’t appreciate but was expected to just suck it up. And Sojiro had done nothing but drill Chiyo since she got there. Who cared if she cursed? Truth be told, Chiyo thought it was the least she was owed.

The sudden bout of ringing snapped Chiyo out of her doldrums. The matter was abruptly dropped as Sojiro fished out his phone. “Hey, what’s up? …Yeah, I just closed up shop. I’ll be there in an hour.” He lowered the phone and placed a hand on the mouthpiece. “You hear that? If you need to use the bathhouse I’d get a move on if I were you.”

Instantly, Chiyo raced upstairs and came back moments later with her bag discarded and replaced with a towel and her wallet. Normally Chiyo loved a good soak after a long day. But given a time limit, Chiyo thought she made an impressive, personal record for the quickest bath. By the time Chiyo returned to Leblanc Sojiro was just finishing up. “Want me to flip the sign?” Chiyo asked as she walked through the door.

“Since you’re there.”

Flipping the sign around to ‘CLOSED’ Chiyo allowed the door to close behind her. She headed upstairs and prepared herself for bed. While changing Chiyo heard the tinkle of the doorbell as Sojiro left. Once again, she was on her own in the attic.

She wrote her first entry in the diary. Writing down the truth was not an option, unless she wanted to make herself out as mad. Chiyo wrote what she was sure Sojiro and the officials were expecting. That she cut half the day of school, doing what she could to avoid getting caught until she did.

Chiyo slammed the book close and worked on changing out of her pajamas. Initially, she was fully expecting another uncomfortable night, alone in the silence. But as soon as she laid back down, Chiyo found herself relaxing and exhaustion seep in. If it meant Chiyo got to doze off faster and not dwell on the lonely silence she would take the chaos of this morning as a blessing in disguise.

Drip… Drip… Drip…

When Chiyo opened her eyes she was met with a blue ceiling. Turning her head she found herself in the very same cell she was in the other night. Sitting up, Chiyo swung her legs over. “So, you finally decided to join us?” Henry asked. He stepped to the side then whacked his baton against the cell bars. “Get on your feet, Inmate!”

“Our master wishes to speak with you,” Robert said politely. “It’s for your own sake that you take his words to heart.”

“So quit making him wait!”

Biting back a curse, Chiyo stood up, her hands weight down by her manacles as she walked to the bars. In the center of the room, Igor sat behind his desk. “First off, let us celebrate our reunion,” Igor said in greeting. Steepling his fingers, the ever-present smile on his face twitched slightly. “And it seems you’ve awakened to your powers, special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘my powers?’” asked Chiyo.

“There is no need to understand it all for the time being. For now, focus on training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. Personas are, in other words, a ‘mask’ - an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters. I have high expectations for you.”

“If that’s the case, why exactly can’t I understand it all now? You’re just saying words and I don’t know what to make of them.”

Igor chuckled briefly. “You will learn when the time comes,” he said, causing Chiyo’s shoulders to sag. “By the by… have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces.”

“Metaverse… Navigator…?” Chiyo repeated stiltedly. Her brow furrowed as she thought. “Wait, you mean that app I can’t get rid of?!”

“The very same. I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief.”

“I thought it was a virus!”

“Ingrate!” snapped Henry. “The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better start showing him some gratitude!”

“Just be sure to devote yourself to your training,” added Robert. “Do that and you may become a fine thief.”

Chiyo list her head to the side. Now she was supposed to be a thief? What happened to her rehabilitation? “It must be disheartening,” Igor spoke, “to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief…”

Wanting to voice her confusion, Chiyo opened her mouth, but the sound of the siren cut her off before she could even ask. “Looks like it’s time,” Henry said sounding somewhat irritable for whatever reason. “Better enjoy whatever rest you might have left…”

**Tuesday, April 12th**

###### 

Chiyo left Leblanc that morning with an umbrella. She went to the nearest convenient store quickly and bought herself an onigiri. She ate it up just before she arrived at her first train. Chiyo heard various whispers about the subway accident yesterday. How the conductor was at top speed, how he had a psychotic episode while working. Either way, the speeds he took endangered everyone in his train and outside of it. Chiyo wondered if it was really safe for her to be taking the train to school like this before deciding it was too late to second guess herself.

She transferred lanes with little trouble and was able to head straight to Shujin. No problems. No castle.

Arriving at school on time today brought upon several whispers amongst Chiyo’s peers. Some were apparently betting she wouldn’t have even bothered to show up. Though she couldn’t say she was surprised, she did wonder what the teachers were thinking.

That morning she had her first social studies class with Ushimaru-sensei. Chiyo tried to pay attention to Ushimaru’s lecture, but when he went on about him teaching the rules of society. Chiyo brought her right hand under her chin and leaned on her arm. Without realizing what she was doing, her eyes went to the window, watching the city life below as the rain continued to fall.

“Kusakabe!” barked Ushimaru.

Obediently Chiyo sat up straight and placed her hands on her desk. “Y-Yes?” she asked bringing back the library girl.

“The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts. A person’s soul is composed of appetite, spirit, and what else?’

“Reason,” Chiyo said quietly.

Ushimura’s brow rose, somewhat impressed, “That is correct. Plato’s teacher, Socrates, said that evil is born from ignorance. People who’ve been babied, taught that evil is due to individuality, can only become society’s scum.”

“Wow, she actually got it right? We’re sure she’s a delinquent?”

“I dunno. She does look and act the type who’s serious about studying. But…”

Biting back a prideful smile, Chiyo looked down at her hands. She crossed her ankles and tucked her feet under her chair. “Alright, settle down,” Ushimaru called. “There are bizarre incidents occurring frequently these days. Those are but actions of such aforementioned scum. We don’t need crude people like that in this school. Understand?”

Ushimaru glanced at Chiyo as he spoke, causing her to look down at her hands again. 

Chiyo tried to keep her head low and eyes forward throughout the rest of the day. She sat by herself during lunch and mentally berated herself for not bringing anything to read at least. That is until it occurred to Chiyo that she wasn’t much of a reader before (ironically enough). Or, at least, she was not one who read for the pleasure of it. If she wasn’t training she was trying to have a social life and/or studying. Without gymnastics, Chiyo was left with quite a bit of time on her hands. Should she give pleasure reading a try?

When class let out for the day Chiyo left her classroom rotating her shoulders as she walked. Her left shoulder popped, and not in a pleasant way. Chiyo tried to soothe the area by rubbing it as Takamaki brisked past her. “Hey there, Takamaki,” Chiyo heard. Kamoshida appeared at the head of the stairway, crossing paths with Takamaki. “You looking for a ride home? Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents.”

“Sorry,” Takamaki said innocently. “I have a photoshoot today. It’s for the special summer issue, so I can’t afford to miss it…”

“Hey, now…” exhaled Kamoshida. “Being a model’s fine and dandy, but don’t work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned you weren’t feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?”

“Yeah…” Takamaki turned her gaze to the left. “I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I’ve been too busy… Sorry to worry you.”

“You must be lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often. That’s why I asked you out in the first place.” Kamoshida glanced up, spotting Chiyo. “And I suggest you be careful around that transfer student. She’s got a criminal record and a… well, let’s call it a history. We wouldn’t want her to rub off on you, or have her turn violent…”

Takamaki’s brow twitched. “Thank you for your concern,” she said, “but I’ll be fine. Please excuse me.”

She headed downstairs before Kamoshida could say anything else. Chiyo suddenly recalled a few whispers she heard yesterday about Takamaki and Kamoshida. Having seen what she just witnessed there appeared to be some truth to it. But then, why did Takamaki look like she was trying to avoid him? 

Chiyo ducked two fingers under her glasses to rub her eye. She could practically hear Sojiro telling her to stay out of it, to mind her own business. But that didn’t stop something from nagging at the back of Chiyo’s head. Takamaki’s miserable expression the day before, her need to get away today…

She started playing a mental game of ping-pong. Either she butt in, ask Takamaki if she’s doing okay and potentially cause trouble. Or she just forget what she saw and leave Takamaki in potential trouble. Chiyo was still mulling over this as she walked up to the school gate. It had stopped raining, but the grey clouds left her feeling a bit wary. 

“Yo.”

Chiyo stopped in place to find Ryuji waiting for her. Chiyo asked, “Hey, what’s up?”

“I wanna talk about that castle from yesterday.”

“Didn’t you end up writing it off as a dream?”

_‘That we both somehow perfectly shared,’_ Chiyo added silently.

“I know,” said Ryuji, “and I tried tellin’ myself it was just a dream… but I couldn’t do it. I can’t act like nothing happened. It’s all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all. I wanna find out what‘s up with that place, no matter what. And y‘know, you‘re the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?”

Chiyo said nothing but instead shuffled her feet. There was a part of her that wanted to politely dissuade Ryuji from this. They barely made it out with their lives last time. But, despite all logic and reason telling her it was a terrible idea, Chiyo was curious herself. What happened to her, what that castle really was and how it could even be in the same location as Shujin. It was crazy, but damn if it didn’t sound more appealing than just heading back to that lonely attic.

“Do you even know how we get there?” Chiyo asked at length.

“Uh…” Ryuji’s shoulders sagged, he looked back at the school. “Not-Not exactly…”

Pushing her bangs out of her eyes, Chiyo’s free hand cupped the opposite elbow, her standard thinking pose. “You said you took that route a lot and nothing happened. So what was different?”

“Didn’t you have your phone out for a bit? You had had a navigation app thingy on. I heard stuff that sounded like one comin‘ from your phone.”

Her mouth fell open slightly while a chill ran down her spine. What was it Igor said last night? Something about a ‘Metaverse Nav?’ She fished her phone out of her pocket, the red and black app still ever-present on the screen. “Mind if I see?” Ryuji offered his hand out. Chiyo passed him the phone, Ryuji only studied it for a moment before he spoke up, “What’s this eyeball-lookin’ thing?”

“Dunno.” Chiyo shrugged. “It just appeared and I can’t delete it…”

“Wait, really? What a weird app…” Ryuji prodded at the screen before his eyes lit up. “Oh wait, this is it!” He turned the screen towards Chiyo. “It is a navigation app! There’s even your search history!”

“Really?”

“Yep. It’s all right there. Let’s try usin’ it.”

Ryuji prodded further, instantaneously a mechanical, vaguely feminine voice spoke, “Kamoshida… Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle… Beginning navigation.”

A slight bout of dizziness hit Chiyo like she stood up too fast. She brought a hand to her temple, her eyes blinked several times in rapid succession. “Whoa, dude,” Ryuji uttered with his hand on Chiyo’s shoulder.

“Hm?”

She looked up to find the sky a rosy shade of red, and a European castle in the place of Shujin Academy. “Whoa… it really worked?” Chiyo asked more to herself.

They hurried across the drawbridge into the castle courtyard. For a courtyard, it there was nothing all that impressive about it. It could have just been any other twelve by twelve room inside the castle were it not for the drawbridge and castle entrance.

“Yeah. Guess that means what happened yesterday was for real too,” said Ryuji. He looked over at Chiyo and jumped. “Whoa! Your clothes!”

Chiyo looked down at herself to find her uniform replaced with the half-buttoned coat from yesterday. Her gloved hand reached up to touch the bridge of her nose and was met with the hard material of the mask. “That happened last time too!” exclaimed Ryuji. “What’s with that outfit?”

“I kinda like it,” said Chiyo. She could only imagine how much she’d have to save up to pay for a coat like this. She gave Ryuji her best shit-eating grin. “You jelly?”

“I-I ain’t jealous! Seriously though, what’s goin’ on here? This makes no fuckin’ sense at all…”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Chiyo said, reaching up for the mask again. A sudden chill ran down her spine when it hit her.

She wasn’t wearing her glasses.

Chiyo yanked off the mask and looked up at the wall. She could see the patterns the bricks made, she could see the nicks in the wall. She could clearly see the hanging lanterns around them, round platters with purple fires burning inside. She could make out the wear and tear of the barrels stored around them. But she didn’t have her glasses on. She didn’t even have her contacts on.

“Holy fuck I can see!”

“Will you keep your voices down?!” a new, but still somewhat familiar, voice snapped.

Morgana poked out from behind one of the parapets that blocked in the windows. Ryuji let out a surprised yelp as Morgana ran up to them, his legs practically a blur. What was strange was how the ground seemed to ripple with each step he took. There was even a purple-pink something that sloshed up with each step. The effect was like he was walking through a shallow puddle. 

“The Shadows started acting up,” Morgana explained, “so I came here wondering what it could be…” He let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. “To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape.”

“Well, needless to say, we had a few questions that wouldn’t leave us.” Chiyo crossed her arms over her chest. “Like, what is this place? It’s still the school, yes?”

“That’s right.”

“But it’s a castle!” Ryuji exclaimed, throwing his arm to the side gesturing to the structure.

Morgana pointed a paw at Chiyo. “It’s like she said, this castle is the school. But only to this castle’s ruler.”

Chiyo inquired, “You mean Kamoshida?”

“Exactly. It’s how his distorted heart views the school.”

Chiyo rubbed the back of her neck, her fingers unintentionally pulling out strands. She exchanged a look with Ryuji, who looked utterly lost. While Chiyo thought she had the basic idea, Morgana’s explanation left her with more questions than answers. “Explain it in a way that makes sense!” barked Ryuji.

“I shouldn’t have expected a moron to get it,” sighed Morgana.

“What’d you say?!”

A cry from the inside of the castle caused the three of them to jump. Chiyo instinctively held one hand at the ready, though she wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it if something came out at them. In order to get the ribbon, she’d have to reach into her coat. Wouldn’t keeping it in an outer pocket have been easier and more time efficient? “What was that?!” Ryuji asked, his voice quivering slightly.

“It must be the slaves held captive here,” Morgana said casually.

“For real?!”

“You mean like that guy we saw yesterday?” asked Chiyo.

Morgana nodded. “Just like him. It’s likely how Kamoshida views his students. What’s more, you two escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit.”

“That son of a bitch,” Ryuji hissed under his breath.

“Ryuji…”

“This is bullshit!”

Without warning, Ryuji ran up to the door and started ramming his shoulder into it in an attempt to opening. After three goes it became painfully obvious that it was not going to budge for anyone or anything. “That’s not going to work, you know,” Morgana said flatly. “Still, it seems you have your reasons.”

Giving up, Ryuji rubbed his shoulder. “Hey, Monamona!”

“It’s Morgana.”

“Whatever. Do you know where those voices are comin’ from?”

“You want me to take you to them?” Morgana’s voice cracked in disbelief. He brought a paw to his chin. “Well, I guess I could guide you there. But only if she comes with us.” He pointed his paw at Chiyo.

Chiyo’s shoulder shot up when Morgana pointed at her. Out of reflex, she wanted to ask why she absolutely had to come with them. But she bit it back, if only because of Ryuji. He was adamant about going into the castle again and he did not have much in any means of defense. “All right, let’s go,” she said.

“Guess that settles that,” said Morgana. 

“Thanks, man,” Ryuji said, clapping Chiyo on the back.

An awkward smile played upon Chiyo’s lips. Could she really not take gratitude without getting flustered anymore? A part of her wondered if it was really a result of the arrest or if she was just given that little opportunity to do something nice for others. When Chiyo thought about it, she was mostly training and studying with time with friends planned out in advance. Maybe Chiyo really hadn’t been in this position as often as she thought.

“Don’t worry,” Ryuji shrugged off his bag and reached inside, “I’m not gonna force all this on you. I thought it might help, so…”

Chiyo’s heart leaped into her throat as Ryuji pulled out a black handgun. Even Morgana was taken aback by the sight of the pistol, judging by the fur on his tail that stood up on end. “Holy shit!” Chiyo hissed, “Please don’t tell me that’s real!”

“Don’t worry, it ain’t. It’s a model gun, but I bought it just in case. It looks real enough, so it should at least fake ‘em out.” He gave his bag a shake, Chiyo could hear a crinkling sound amongst the shuffling. “I brought snacks too. You know what they say: ‘Providin’ is pre… something.’”

“I suddenly want to know what would’ve happened if I said no,” Chiyo muttered in disbelief.

“He likely would’ve died,” an unimpressed Morgana said. “All right, let’s do this. Follow me!”

###### 

Morgana lead the two to the vent they escaped out of, which he called their ‘infiltration point.’ Climbing back in, Chiyo felt the climb to get out was easier than climbing back in. She decided it was because of the shelf inside provided hand and footholds. For a moment she toyed with the idea of getting into bouldering.

Back inside the castle, Morgana lead them back to the foyer, followed by Chiyo, with Ryuji taking up the rear. In the foyer, Chiyo realized there was a large portrait of Kamoshida in golden armor.

Without warning, the woozy sensation returned as the foyer’s image flicked, becoming a hybrid between the room, and Shujin’s entrance hall. “Whoa…” Ryuji rubbed his eyes, “I’m seein’ double or something… Was that Shujin?”

“I already told you,” said Morgana. “This place is your school, it’s just how Kamoshida sees it. Regardless, we don’t have the time to stand around. Who knows when a Shadow might show up. This way, follow me!”

Morgana lead them across the foyer, back down the spiraling staircase that lead to the dungeon. The roar of the river reached Chiyo’s ears before too long. The dungeon was the same as it had been yesterday; a fire-lit corridor with cells on either side of the river. The bridge was several meters down the path, however, one of the black-armored guards was pacing down the path leading down the entrance to the bridge.

Instantly, Chiyo and Ryuji crouched at the door, peeking out the side of the doorway. “Drat,” Morgana said under his breath. “I had a feeling there would be guards here… Doesn’t look like we’ll be able to avoid conflict.”

Ryuji paled. “F-For real…?”

“Oh well. They haven’t spotted us, so we have the advantage. Frizzy hair-”

“It’s Chiyo.”

“A good rule of thumb is to ambush as many enemies as you can. Attacking them from behind gives us the advantage. But you’ll need to rip off their masks to momentarily break the control the Palace ruler has over them.”

“That’s all we gotta do?” asked Ryuji.

Chiyo chewed her lower lip as the guard walked towards them. Morgana gave him a contempt look. “Uh, you know you’re just going to be watching, right? You can’t use a Persona.”

“Quiet!” Chiyo hissed. She gestured her head at the guard. Still, she was sure she could sneak up on the guard with no problem. The problem, as far as she could see, was pulling the mask off.

She did not dwell on it as long as she would have liked. As soon as the guard had it’s back to them Chiyo broke forward. She was used to being light on her feet but wearing thick shoes while treading lightly was a new experience. She recalled pirouetting a few times yesterday with little issue. Perhaps, she wondered, if it had something to do with the clothes themselves, like how they would appear and disappear from her person.

Chiyo was within arms-length of the guard. For a moment, her body moved on its own. She reached up for its shoulder and pulled herself up with a jump. She braced her feet against it’s back while she kept one arm looped around its neck. In its confusion, Chiyo grabbed the guard by its face and dug her fingers under the mask. Pulling the mask free, Chiyo pushed off the guards back and backflipped away from the guard as it’s body twitched.

The black-armored being was soon replaced by one of the Jack-o’-lanterns that she and Morgana faced earlier. “Nice work!” Morgana quickly at Chiyo’s side, with his curved sword slung over his shoulder. How could Morgana even hold it if he didn’t have opposable thumbs? “Now’s our chance to strike!”

Quickly, Chiyo reached into her coat for her ribbon. Repeating her actions from yesterday she twirled three times before slashing the Jack-o'-lantern with the ribbon. “Zorro!” Morgana called, summoning the black-clad, top-heavy being. “Give ‘em your best Garu!”

Obediently, Zorro readied it’s rapier and used it to slash a ‘z’ through the air. The effect hit the Jack-o'-lantern instantly. It twitched before it vanished into a dark haze. Whooping, Ryuji approached Chiyo with a pat on the back. “Nice work man!” Morgana cleared his throat while his small arms were crossed over his chest. “I mean, yeah, that Zorro guy was cool, but Chiyo’s been kicking ass with a ribbon. How often do you see that?”

“Hmph…”

“It’s… probably not a good idea to stay in one place for long,” Chiyo said, listing her head towards the bridge.

Upon crossing the bridge Ryuji skitted to a stop. He looked from left to right, into the cells, in rapid session. “Where’d he go? That guy from yesterday?” Raking a hand through the back of his head, Ryuji’s brow rose instantly. “Oh yeah, there were more of ‘em further in! Didn’t you hear them, Chiyo?”

“They might have been transferred already,” said Morgana.

“Transferred?” Chiyo echoed.

The group was instantly silenced by the metallic sounds. Metallic and even rhythmic, evidence that there was more than one guard. And they were headed straight for them. “That… That doesn’t sound good,” Ryuji warbled.

“And I get the feeling we’d be pushing our luck if we try to take them on,” said Chiyo.

In the corner of her eye, she could see Morgana survey the area. He sprinted across the hall, only stopping in front of a wooden double door. “In here,” Morgana called. “We should be able to hide in here.”

Ryuji opened the door, allowing Chiyo and Morgana inside before he followed suit. The room looked like a sort of break room with a squat wooden table in the center. Morgana climbed onto the table; he stretched his stubby arms. “The Shadow’s probably won’t come in here.”

“What makes you so sure?” asked Chiyo.

“There’s a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler’s control over this area is weak.”

A slight sense of dizziness hit Chiyo as the room morphed into an empty classroom. “Oh,” Chiyo uttered as the room changed back, “it’s another classroom. Likely because Kamoshida doesn’t teach in here, so to him, he doesn’t have the power he usually does.”

“Nice observation there,” said Morgana. “And I’d say you hit the nail on the head.”

Ryuji, while raking his hands through his hair, let out a frustrated yell. “Okay, what the hell are you two talkin’ about?! What is this place?”

“Will you keep it down?” Morgana asked bitterly. “This place is another reality that the ruler’s heart projects.”

Reading the look of confusion on Ryuji’s face Chiyo offered, “You said Kamoshida acts like he was king of the castle. This reality is taking it literally, likely because he’s thinking the same thing.”

Ryuji’s shoulders shook momentarily as he let out a humorless chuckle. “That son of a bitch!”

“You must really hate this Kamoshida guy.”

“ _Hate_ doesn’t even cover how I feel. Everything is that asshole‘s fault!”

Chiyo crossed her arms over her chest, recalling how the Kamoshida in this world carefully studied her face. A chill ran down her spine when she remembered how he undid the buttons on her blazer. What exactly Kamoshida was planning on doing would ultimately be up to Chiyo’s imagination. Was he just trying to check out her chest? Or was he going to take it further?

Chiyo did not want to dwell on the ‘what-ifs’ too much. She wasn’t going to let them control her. But… she couldn’t help but recall Takamaki and the what Chiyo witnessed between her and Kamoshida.

“I don’t know what happened between the two of you,” Morgana said, breaking Chiyo from her thoughts, “but don’t let your emotions get the better of you. His lackeys are everywhere inside.”

“Okay. I have a question.” Chiyo gestured to her person. “What’s with the costume change?”

“Oh yeah.” Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m curious as hell about that.”

“That’s also because of this world,” Morgana explained plainly. “Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases with his Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that. It’s the image of rebellion that you hold within.”

Ryuji inquired, “What about that ribbon of hers? Kind of a lame-ass weapon.”

At that, Chiyo pursed her lips to the side. “I’m not a hundred percent sure since I‘m not Chiyo,” Morgana said, stretching again. “But I’d say it’s more or less the same basic principal. If she views the ribbon as something of power, then it can easily serve as a weapon here.”

Chiyo studied her appearance again. Her image of rebellion was a runway model? Or was it based off of the drama’s and anime, she watched growing up. Specifically, the character’s that tended to stick with her. Those character’s would wear long coat’s, and jeez, if those character’s didn’t look infallible and just cool.

And the ribbon… Morgana certainly hit the nail on the head. Ribbon routines were Chiyo’s favorite, something that flew in the breeze, just as graceful as Chiyo herself was. It was something that accentuated Chiyo’s performance. Something that drew peoples attention on her. 

Ryuji’s sudden, frustrated yell shook Chiyo out of her thoughts. “I’m so fed up with all this! The bigger mystery is you than her clothes! What the hell are you and how do you know all this?!”

“I’m a human,” Morgana asserted, “and honest-to-god human!”

“No, you’re obviously more like a cat!”

Morgana’s ears plastered against his skull, as he refused to meet Ryuji’s gaze. “That’s… well…” he said miserably. “It’s because I lost my true form.”

“You don’t sound so sure about that,” said Chiyo.

Shaking his head, Morgana’s ear picked back up. “Of course I am! I even know how to regain my true form. The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means.” His ears plastered back against his skull. “Until I got caught… B-Besides! I’ve been tortured by Kamoshida too! I’m gonna make him pay for sure!”

Morgana spoke with such conviction, it was rather amusing to hear something like that come from something as cartoonish as Morgana. Chiyo still had a few questions, the first and foremost being how and why all this was even possible. The castle, Chiyo’s clothes, those Shadow things, Chiyo and Morgana’s Persona things. It all couldn’t be happening just because.

When no one interrupted Chiyo’s thoughts, she realized how quiet it was. Namely, how quiet it was outside the room. “I don’t hear anything,” she said. “Think it’s safe to leave?”

Morgana’s head list to the left, his ears twitched briefly. “I think so. All right, I’ll be counting on your skills this time too, rookie. Got it?”

“I guess.”


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four  
Captain Kidd**

_“You‘ll see in time. You will survive_  
 _Too soon to run. Too late to hide”_  
\- “Stronger,” Finding Neverland the Musical

**Tuesday, April 12th**

“I thought I just heard something move over there… Guess it was my imagination…”

“And what of the slaves?”

“They’re all in the training hall. I’d assume they’re screaming in pain by now.”

“Very well. By the way, I heard we may have intruders around. Stay on your guard.”

“Well, if _that_ wasn’t an interesting tidbit,” said Morgana.

Chiyo held the door open as Ryuji and Morgana walked out. “They said trainin’ hall, right?” Ryuji inquired.

“I think that’s just a little further up ahead.”

Morgana lead them to a nearby door amongst the cells. Hidden amongst them, one could be forgiven for mistaking it for a cell. The pathway to the training hall lead the group further underground. Chiyo had to wonder why Kamoshida went through the hassle of hiding the training hall like this. But she quickly found that trying to deconstruct everything in this castle would easily distract her. 

Turning the corner Chiyo held her arms out, stopping Ryuji. Two guards were in conversation one clearly updating the other about the intruders. They hadn’t found anything, but they knew there were intruders. “Drat,” Morgana hissed, “I had a feeling there’d be a lot of enemies. It’d be near impossible to dodge them.”

“So conflict is inevitable,” murmured Chiyo. “Do you want me to ambush them?”

“Hold on, let me think.” Morgana held his round head in one paw while the opposite arm held onto its fellow. “We don’t know how many enemies we’ll face along the way… How many snacks did you bring Ryuji?”

Shrugging off his bag, Ryuji took a peek inside. “Uh… eight bags of chips and two bottles of mineral water. I was kinda expecting just Chiyo and me so I packed enough for us split evenly. B-But I’m sure we can make it work!”

“Regardless those snacks should come in handy while we’re in here,” Morgana said thoughtfully. “We shouldn’t use them too freely. But, since we have them it’s a nice bit of reassurance before we go in.” He looked up at Chiyo. “We should get the advantage if we can attack them first. Your ribbon should give us an added edge.”

Already pulling it out of her coat, Chiyo stood up and readied herself. She stood out in plain sight of the guards, who were still in conversation. “Hey!” she barked.

In unison, the guards turned to look at Chiyo, who had already done a simple up and down motion, sending the tip of the ribbon smacking into the first guard. He fell back against his fellow causing the two of them to tremble before breaking apart into three Shadows. Two of them took the form of one of those fairy creatures and a creature that looked like a living flower.

Chiyo ripped off her mask, summoning Arsene. “Give ‘em your Cleave!”

Obediently, Arsene twirled around once before it extended its arm. A sudden flash darted out, slamming itself into fairy, taking it out instantly. Morgana took his sword, approached the flower and slashed into it. The flower counted by throwing its leg into Morgana. Chiyo’s ribbon wrapped itself around the flower, she pulled back, causing it to fall over. The flower disappeared into a haze as its fellow had done previously.

“Nice work, there,” said Morgana.

“Not bad yourself.”

Ryuji shouted, “Don’t go celebratin’ just yet!”

In unison Chiyo and Morgana turned to find a red devil with leathery wings, of all things, ready to attack. Chiyo hated herself for forgetting about the second guard and the Shadow it became. However, before the devil could attack, an earsplitting bang echoed in the corridor. The devil stood still for a moment, black puss oozing out of the wound in its chest. It fell back, vanishing before it could it the ground.

Chiyo turned towards Ryuji, who held his model pistol in his hands, looking just as perplexed as Chiyo. “ _I thought you said it was fake!_ ” she exclaimed.

“It is!” Ryuji’s voice broke. “I was just trying to buy you two a little time, not kill the thing!”

“Well, this is a cognitive world,” Morgana spoke up, stealing the teen's attention. Haughtily, he had his arms crossed over his chest, as though he knew this would happen. “As long as our opponent sees it as real, it becomes such. It’s a good thing it’s realistic-looking.”

“I don’t get it,” Ryuji said flatly.

“Oh,” Chiyo gasped. “It’s kind of like my ribbon. Because I see it as a weapon and use it as such, it’s able to do damage it wouldn’t normally do. Because your gun looks real it can be preserved as such by someone who doesn’t know any better.”

“Was that supposed to be a simpler explanation?”

“I wouldn’t expect someone with your brains to understand,” Morgana said to Ryuji’s irritation. “At least one of you can catch on.”

The three continued on shortly after that, not wanting to stay in one place for too long. It did not take long for them to find another guard and engage in battle. With Ryuji’s working gun he was able to help out far more than before.

Exiting the corridor they were once again faced with a running river. They went down another stony hallway before they came across the training hall’s entrance, revealed by the banner over a pink-tinted metal doorway. “‘Kamoshida’s… Training Hall… of Love…’” Ryuji read out loud. “What kinda bullshit is this?!”

They skirted through the door, the sounds of painful cries, moans, and begging could be heard from the hall’s entrance corridor. At first glance, Chiyo could have sworn they were back in the dungeon, for it did not look that different. A river in the center of the hall, with a bridge or two that lead to the other side. However, it was not until they crossed to the other side of the river did Chiyo see the difference between the training hall and the dungeon.

There was a set of bars, larger than those keeping them inside the cell yesterday. It was fashioned like an observation deck. Several meters below was a volleyball court, complete with a net. However, the players each held onto the net while the guards struck the players lower backs and the back of their legs with wooden canes.

On the left of the room, one of the team members was on a treadmill at top speed. Behind him was a spike roller, threatening to impale him if he tripped and fell or even slowed down. To the right of the room, a second team member was strung up from his ankles. On the opposite end of the room, volleyballs were being launched out, striking the boy at full velocity.

Chiyo brought a gloved hand to her mouth as Ryuji cursed loudly. “How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down?!” Morgana scolded.

Ryuji gestured to the sight below them. “But this is beyond fucked up! There’s gotta be a way to get ‘em out…”

“Don’t bother…”

To their surprise, an unseen player limped up on the parapet surrounding the court. He walked with a visible limp and he had a knee and wrist wrapped for all the good it was doing him. Chiyo wondered, vaguely, how he could have climbed up if he was beaten so. “Leave us alone,” he said miserably. “It’s useless…”

“The hell you talkin’ about?!” Ryuji demanded.

“If we stay obedient, we won’t be executed like you guys…”

Ryuji grabbed onto the bars, just barely keeping himself from trembling. “You’re tellin’ me you wanna stay in a place like this?!”

Morgana’s spoke up, his tail sticking straight out, “Wait! You were planning on taking these guys out of here?!”

“We can’t just leave ‘em here!”

“How stupid can you be?”

“ _Excuse me?!_ ”

“These are only humans in Kamoshida’s cognition. They aren’t real humans that have entered from reality. They’re different from you two.”

Ryuji’s head list to the left as he raked a hand through his hair. “Cognition…?”

“It’s like how Kamoshida views the school as a castle,” explained Chiyo. “Those kids down there are probably how he views the volleyball team.”

“So the school’s a castle, and the students are slaves…” Ryuji scoffed. “It’s so on point it almost makes me laugh. This really is the inside of that asshole’s head…”

Chiyo looked back down the volleyball court, struggling to drown out their cries, their pleas for mercy. She bit the fabric over the bed of her thumb. “I’d say the team isn’t going through this in reality… but it’s not far from the truth…”

“You’re right.” Morgana approached the bars to get a better look. “This is pretty horrible. They must be physically abused every day… There’s no way they’d be so beaten up normally.”

“So it might be for real…” Ryuji said to himself.

“Probably. Not _this_ over the top, but probably…”

“I heard that Kamoshida’s usin’ physical punishment,” Ryuji said thoughtfully. “They’re just rumors, but… If they’re true, wouldn’t this be something’ to report to the police…?”

“Isn’t Kamoshida an Olympic alumnus, though?” Chiyo asked. “Won the gold for Japan? School idol, essentially? It’d be our word against his.”

Ryuji threw a hand towards the court. “But we have evidence! If we could get any one of these guys to come clean about it, Kamoshida’s done for.” He pulled out his phone to take a picture but quickly found the camera wouldn‘t work. “The hell? We can use that navigation app, but the camera’s a no go?!”

Morgana inquired, “A navigation app?”

“That’s how we got here,” Chiyo explained.

“Can you use your camera?” asked Ryuji.

Pursuing her lips Chiyo reached into her pocket to find her phone was still there, surprisingly. A couple moments of prodding with her thumb Chiyo couldn’t even get her camera to show up. She shook her head as she put it back.

“Well, whatever you do is fine, but we’re gonna get caught if we stand around like this,” Morgana said harshly. “We need to head back!”

“Hold on a second,” Ryuji said looking back at the volleyball court. Chiyo reckoned he was either looking for familiar faces or trying to commit faces to memory. “All right, I think I can find their real-selves tomorrow.”

Heading back out was far easier than the path to get there. Though their presence was most defiantly known. Morgana urged them to hurry onward before they got caught. They headed to the foyer with no problem. However, when they made it to the foyer, the three slid to a stop.

The cognitive Kamoshida blocked their exit with two black armored guards and one guard in golden armor. “You knaves again?” Kamoshida demanded with a slight snarl. “To think you’d make the same mistake again. You’re hopeless!”

“‘Mistake?’” Chiyo countered, resting one hand on her hip as she spoke. “Weren’t _you_ the one pissing himself in fright last we met?”

“Don’t forget whose castle this is, peasant! You’ll find there are a few secrets hidden away.”

“The school ain’t your castle!” shouted Ryuji. “I’m going to see the volleyball team first chance I get. You’re goin’ down!”

Kamoshida’s shoulder shook as he let out a scoff. “It seems it’s true what they say ‘barking dogs seldom bite.’ How far the star runner of the track team has fallen.”

Chiyo’s brow furrowed, she lowered her hand from her waist. She eyed Ryuji in confusion. He was a track runner? ‘Was?’

“The hell are you gettin’ at?!” barked Ryuji.

“I speak of the ‘Track Traitor’ who acted in violence, ending his teammates’ dreams,” Kamoshida explained with a hint of condescendence in his tone. “I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your…” Kamoshida pretended to think, “selfish act.”

Ryuji visibly faltered. “Violence?” Chiyo repeated.

Kamoshida crossed his arms, taking on a haughty stance. “What a surprise,” he said plainly. “So you’re accompanying him without knowing anything at all? He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever.”

“That’s not true!” Ryuji shouted.

The cognitive Kamoshida ignored him, instead, he kept his gaze on Chiyo. “You’ve come along with this fool and now you’re going to end up dead. Of course…” he paused. His yellow eyes traveled down the length of Chiyo’s body. “I’m willing to excuse you, provided you give me something in return.”

_“I’m just playing. Relax.”_

Hot anger flashed through Chiyo instantaneously. “Fuck that noise!” she snarled.

Kamoshida’s lips pulled back into a tooth-bearing sneer. He turned and leaned towards the golden-armored guard. “Go ahead and kill them,” he instructed. “Don’t sully my castle with garbage.” 

The Guard Captain gestured to his black-armored fellows. They morphed into a pair of black horses with snowy white manes and a couple of green ram horns protruding from their heads. “Goddammit,” Ryuji murmured, still as a statue.

One of the demon horses reared on its back legs, ready to attack. “Ryuji!” Chiyo shouted.

She grabbed him by the arm and pushed him out of the demon horse’s path. Chiyo took the bunt of the attack, she was thrown off her feet, landing hard on the floor. “Zorro!” Morgan shouted, summoning the very same being. “Garu!”

Zorro flicked its arm, forming the familiar z-shape. The corresponding demon horse shook its head, a dissatisfied knicker escaped its lips. The demon horse got its revenge by ramming its head into Morgana. He flew back, landing on his front side. Kamoshida proceeded to drop his foot on Morgana’s back, preventing him from getting back up. Morgana groaned in discomfort, “You piece of-”

Chiyo tried to pull herself onto her knees, but the golden-armored guard mimicked Kamoshida’s actions on her. The weight was just enough to make breathing difficult, but not impossible. In front of the sight, Ryuji sat on his knees, hating himself for freezing the way he did. “I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this.” Kamoshida turned his gaze on Ryuji, as is to further twist the knife in his chest. “Isn’t that right?”

“N-No…” Ryuji’s voice shook.

“What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly… How dare you raise your hand at me. Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?”

“Wasn’t no practice…” Ryuji threw his fists to the floor in frustration, “it was physical abuse! You just didn’t like our team!”

“It was nothing but an eyesore!” Kamoshida barked back. “The only one who needs to achieve results is me! The coach who got fired was hopeless too… Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would’ve settled it with only breaking his star’s leg.”

“What…?”

“Do you need me to deal with the other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!”

“Dammit…” Ryuji’s voice shook. Even after his leg healed it hadn’t been the same since. It would have been fine, crappy but fine if it was just him. But Kamoshida, the real one, used the incident as an excuse to disband the track team. And now he was just sitting there while Chiyo and Morgana died because of his curiosity. Someone else who suffered because of his actions.

_“WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!”_

All eyes turned on Chiyo. She pushed herself up as best she could with the Guard Captain keeping her down. Despite her situation, her hands were balled up into fists. Despite the mask hiding half her face, it was easy to see her anger with the way her eyes contracted. “So you’re just going to sit back on your ass and prove this dickhead right?!” she shouted. “You’re just gonna sit there and _let_ him win?! What the fuck has he done to deserve the satisfaction?!”

Ryuji looked bewildered initially, taken aback by Chiyo’s sudden outburst. The initial shock dissipated quickly; his brow furrowed. “You’re right,” he said. “Everything that was important to me was taken by him… I’ll never get ‘em back…!”

“Are you done?” asked a bored Kamoshida. “Just stay there and watch. Look down as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you.”

“No…” Ryuji got onto his knees and slowly stood up. “That’s what you are… All you think about is using people… You’re the real scumbag, Kamoshida!”

With a new resolve, Ryuji slowly made his way forward towards Kamoshida. “What are you doing?” the Shadow Kamoshida shouted. “Silence him!”

Close enough to be satisfied, Ryuji extended his right arm, pointing straight at Kamoshida. A cognitive shadow, the real thing, he didn’t care. “Stop lookin’ down on me with that stupid-ass smile on your face!” roared Ryuji.

_“You made me wait quite a while.”_

The sudden, intense pain in his head caused him to lose his composure. In a futile attempt to sooth the pain, Ryuji held onto either side of his head. He dropped to his knees and withered, unable to think of anything else to just make it stop.

Chiyo, still pinned to the floor brought a hand to her mouth. Didn’t she experience something similar yesterday, before… Before… “No way…”

_“You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The ‘other you’ who exists within desires it thus…_

_“I am thou, thou art I… There is no turning back… The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!”_

A blue and white flame flurried across the upper half of Ryuji’s face when the pain suddenly vanished, leaving him momentarily light-headed. Chiyo watched in awe, vaguely wondering if the thoughts going through her head went through Ryuji’s the day before. Unlike Chiyo’s domino mask, Ryuji’s mask was molded into the shape of a metallic skull. However, the skull mask looked like was fitted specifically for Ryuji’s face.

“What can you do?” the golden guard challenged. He raised its, likewise, golden sword, ready for an attack. “Cower in fear and watch!”

Grunting in both fury and pain, Ryuji forced himself to his feet. He held his hands on either side of his mask and, with one strong yank, ripped it off. His face was painted red for a split second before blue and white flames consumed his person. When the flames died down a new figure hovered behind Ryuji, bound by him with ethereal chains. 

The figure wore a generic pirate hat, not quite a tricorn. It wore a blue suit with a couple of cutlasses connected to thick belts crisscrossing over its chest. A tattered cape billowed behind it, and its right hand was actually a canon. The being’s face was a bone white skull, with an eye patch over their right eye. They stood on a small black ship like it were a skateboard, or perhaps a surfboard.

Ryuji’s uniform had been replaced with a black jacket and matching slacks. He had on a pair of knee pads as a red ascot around his neck. His pant legs hung over his combat boots, and striking yellow gloves covered his hands. Around his waist his belt carried a long metal rod, Chiyo almost mistook it for a pipe.

The force of the change spooked Kamoshida and his golden guard enough to back away from Morgana and Chiyo. Kamoshida shielded his eyes with one arm. The demon horses witnessing the chaos began to dance in place. 

A grin formed on Ryuji’s face, a sense of rebirth and awakening overtook him. “Right on,” he said, studying the change in his appearance. “Wassup, Persona… This fucking rocks! Now that I got this power, it’s time for payback…”

Freed from their burdens, Chiyo stood up, wearing a tooth-bearing grin. The thrill of the scene was just as exhilarating as experiencing the awakening. 

Ryuji cracked his knuckles, never wanting to come down from this high. “Yo, I’m ready…” he declared, walking up to Chiyo and Morgana. “Bring it!”

The golden knight let out a bitter growl. “Don’t mock me,” he said raising his sword again, “you brat!”

Slamming its sword onto the floor the guard morphed, transforming into a red armored knight atop a purple-blue horse with a white mane. “All right! Kamoshida’s cognition ain’t changin’, right? Then I’ll act like the troublemaker I am!” Ryuji threw his arm forward, pointing straight at the knight, his Persona mimicking him. “Blast him away… Captain Kidd!”

Captain Kidd raised it’s canon hand and fired. A volt of electricity struck the knight as Morgana called it. Chiyo followed up Ryuji’s attack with a physical attack from her ribbon. Finishing up the chain of attacks Morgana summoned Zorro, instructing it to use Garu.

The demon horses charged for an attack as knight disappeared. Ryuji removed his mask a second time, willing Captain Kidd to send out a second Zio. Chiyo readied her ribbon and struck the nearest demon horse, to which Morgana followed up with an attack from his sword, it disappeared instantly Ryuji removed the pistol from his pocket, one pull of the trigger and the second demon horse was down for the count.

As soon as the second demon horse was gone Ryuji leaned forward, bent over double, trying to catch his breath. “How ‘bout that?! Even if you apologize now… I ain’t forgivin’ you!”

“I told you that this is my castle,” Kamoshida said, thoroughly unimpressed. “It seems you still don’t understand…”

Kamoshida gestured with his head, immediately a girl in a pink bikini, pink pumps and a cat-eared headband walked up from the foot of the stairway. Chiyo’s face flushed as her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She recognized the girl instantly, though they never really spoke. “Takamaki?!”

A purring sound at her right caught her attention. A quick glance down and Chiyo could see Morgana clearly enamored with the Takamaki at Kamoshida’s side. “What a meow-velous and beautiful girl!”

If Chiyo wasn’t so unnerved by the implication behind Takamaki being here, she would have had something to say about that cat-pun. Nothing good. “This-this is like those slaves downstairs, right?” Ryuji warbled.

Chiyo‘s voice broke, “Most likely…”

For whatever reason, whatever point he was trying to make, Kamoshida caressed the cognitive Takamaki’s face. “Hey! Let go of her, you perv!” shouted Ryuji. 

Kamoshida asked, “How many times must I tell you until you understand? This is _my_ castle - a place in which I can do what _I_ want. _Everyone_ wishes to be loved by me. That is…” he turned away from the cognitive Takamaki, who draped herself over him, “everyone besides slow-witted thieves like you.”

“What can I say,” Chiyo shrugged, “revolution always comes when the ruling monarch has his head so far up his own ass.”

Once again, Kamoshida’s lips pulled back into a snarl while his fists shook. “You’re really starting to piss me off, you bitch,” he growled. Turning his head to the side, he barked, “Guards, clean them up this instant!”

Instantly in a splash of magenta and red… something, three guards in black armor appeared before the three. “We’re outnumbered!” Morgana shouted frantically. “Let’s scram before they surround us!”

“We’re not gonna do anything and just run for it?!” argued Ryuji.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Chiyo said quickly. “Summoning your Persona took a bit out of you and Morgana and I have been fighting for a while. We fight now, we may not get out of here.”

“Thank god someone here’s got a level head,” sighed Morgana.

Ryuji bit his lower lip for a moment. “Fine,” he relented. He glared back at Kamoshida, wanting to get the last word in before they retreated. “We’ll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!”

The castle self-proclaimed king threw his head back, laughing. “I was beginning to get bored with torturing the ones here! Come at me whenever you want, if you don’t care about your life!”

“Ignore him,” Morgana said, turning on his paw. “Let’s go!”

For better or worse, they went out the same way they went in. Chiyo had it in her head to try and throw the guards off their trail by opening the door opposite the room they entered and closing the door behind them. It would have legitimately surprised her if it actually worked, but it was all she could think of to buy them a little more time.

Once outside Morgana collapsed face-down on the brick ground, while Ryuji was bent over double trying to catch his breath. Chiyo kept her hands on her waist and leaned back at a slight angle. She was afraid if she mimicked Ryuji’s actions she might end up on the ground like Morgana.

“Anyway…” Ryuji breathed out as he stood back up. He gestured to his clothes. “I don’t remember changin’ into this…”

“Looks good on you…” Chiyo said breathlessly.

“Well, it ain’t as bad as yours.”

“I _like_ mine!”

“Did you find them?!” a new, muffled, voice shouted.

“Both of you be quiet!” Morgana hissed, pushing himself onto his back paws.

“No,” called another voice. “Search that way!”

“So what’s goin’ on?” Ryuji asked as quietly as he could. “My head’s swimmin‘, man…”

“I told you before.” Morgana crossed his arms over his chest. “When a Persona-user opposes a Palace’s ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It’s to prevent you from being affected by distortions. Your appearance reflects your inner self. It’s the rebel that slumbers within… Not that you’ll get it.”

Chiyo would have thought Ryuji would get snippy with Morgana for that quip, for she certainly would if it were directed at her. But to her surprise, Ryuji just dropped his head and sighed out a matter of fact, “Nope.”

“Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is.”

“Wait,” Ryuji gasped, a thought suddenly dawning on him, “we’re in deep shit!”

“I said to be quiet!”

Chiyo hissed through her teeth, “Both of you quit yelling!”

“We might’ve gotten away here,” Ryuji said, ignoring Morgana and Chiyo. “But we’re still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school…”

“I don’t think we are,” said Chiyo. “I called this Kamoshida a few things yesterday, but the real one didn’t act any different when we met.”

“And another nice observation from Frizzy Hair,” Morgana said happily. “It’s like she said, the Kamoshida, in reality, can’t possibly know what happens here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed - a side of one’s personality they don’t want to see.”

“So all this is what happens when one essentially fools themselves for too long?” asked Chiyo.

“In a way. Just fooling yourself isn‘t enough to create a Palace, but it does play a part in it.”

“Then we're okay?” asked Ryuji.

Chiyo gave him a reassuring nod. “Sounds like it.”

“All right! Now that we know that, all we gotta do is-”

Morgana cut him off. “Wait a minute. I guided you as promised. It’s your turn to cooperate with me.” Ryuji and Chiyo exchanged questioning looks. Morgana didn’t suggest a sort of bargain before, did he? “That’s why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything.”

“Well, fuck you, too,” Chiyo muttered under her breath.

“Whaddya mean cooperate?” Ryuji questioned aloud.

Morgana said forcefully, “Don’t you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That’s why we must delve deep into Mementos and-”

“Whoa, hold up!” Ryuji held a hand up, silencing Morgan. “What’re you goin’ on and on about? We never said anything about helpin’ you out.”

“Huh?!” Morgana nearly fell over. “Don’t tell me… Are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you? Especially _you,_ Frizzy Hair. You’re going to up and leave, even though you’re already part of my master plan?!”

“I’m an _idiot,_ remember?” Chiyo said bitterly, much to Morgana‘s dismay. “And you never said anything about a deal and this is the first we’re hearing about some ‘master plan!’”

“Is it because I’m not human?! Because I’m like a cat?! Is that why you’re making a fool of me?!”

“We’re busy,” said Ryuji. He knelt down a gave Morgana a pat behind the ear. “Thanks for everything, cat. You’ve got guts, bein’ a cat and all! See you around!”

Standing back up straight, Ryuji gestured with his head for Chiyo to follow him. She gave Morgana a friendly wave of the hand. “Good luck!” she called before she followed Ryuji at the heel.

“Hey! What the hell?!” Morgana yelled, flailing his arms wildly. “Seriously?! Why’re you wrapping this up like everything’s all hunky-dory?! Get back here, or so help me-! _GAH!_ ”

_“You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.”_

The pair hardly flinched when their school uniforms returned to their persons as they ran to the alleyway they had gone through yesterday morning. Chiyo pressed her back against the building while Ryuji was bent over double, catching their breath. “Thank god… We‘re back,” Ryuji exhaled. He stole a glance at Chiyo, who’s breathing was just beginning to calm. “I guess I dragged you around a lot, huh? Sorry, man.”

Chiyo waved it off. “This was better than going home,” she said. 

“I’m dead tired… How you holdin’ up?”

“Shouldn’t have any problem falling to sleep tonight.”

“Heh. Tell me about it. But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good! I should be able to find those guys Kamoshida was treatin’ like slaves. Once we make ‘em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done.”

A smile tugged at Chiyo’s lips. Assuming it really was true, maybe not to the extent they saw in Kamoshida’s cognition, then he was unfit to be a teacher. But the cognition of Takamaki had Chiyo worried for another reason altogether. The fact that she wore nothing but a bikini… for a teacher, Chiyo couldn’t think of anything more inappropriate.

“So…” Ryuji shook Chiyo out of her thoughts, “wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?”

“Uh…” Chiyo mulled over it for a moment. What did she really have to lose? Besides her fellow students were being beaten behind the scenes by their own teacher. They couldn’t just let that slide. “I guess. Sure.”

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

Ryuji’s bravado slowly died. Avoiding eye contact with Chiyo, he shuffled his feet. “Hey, so…” he spoke as though it was on his mind for a while, “I get what you’re doin’, layin’ low, trying to draw less attention to yourself, but I don’t think it’s helpin’… Everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal and… well, y’know. That shy girl act… everyone’s either expectin’ you to just snap over the smallest thing or they think you’re tryin’ to appeal to a certain type.”

Sighing through her nose, Chiyo looked down at her shoes. She figured that much on her own. Despite what everyone thought, she could hear just fine. “I knew it’d come out eventually,” she said. “But how’d they find out so fast?”

“Kamoshida opened his damn mouth,” Ryuji said bitterly. 

“Seriously?!”

“No one else besides a teacher could’ve leaked it that fast. It doesn’t matter if it’s a student or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn’t agree with. Just like he did with me!” He sighed. “No one’ll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumors about him gettin’ physical might be real. And after seein’ Kamoshida’s distorted-heart thing in person, there’s no way I can just sit back!”

Couldn’t sit back? Chiyo could understand that feeling. She was in her current predicament because she couldn’t sit back. She gave Ryuji a nod, unable to find her voice. “I’m countin’ on you! And, hey, if it mean’s anything, I don’t think you need to worry much about the rumors.” He playfully punched Chiyo in the shoulder. “You’re kinda hardcore.”

Hardcore? Chiyo had been called several things throughout her life. Lovely. Graceful. Whore. Disappointment. Criminal. But hardcore? “I’ve… never been called hardcore before,” she confessed with a goofy grin on her face. “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

The joyous moment came to an abrupt halt when a growling sound came from Ryuji’s stomach. “Crap,” he groaned. “I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. It’d be weird splitting’ off now, so why don’t we grab a bite somewhere?”

She almost literally felt her spirits rising. To be invited along, to just hang out. It felt like a lifetime ago since Chiyo experienced this. It was like having friends again. But… then again, maybe she did have at least one friend now. It was difficult to go through something as life-threatening as that Palace and not come out of it closer to the person you went in with. “S-sure,” she said with a smile.

“Just follow me, then,” said Ryuji. “I mean, I totally gotta hear about your past!”

_“WHAT?!”_

Chiyo imagined Ryuji must have heard the story in the rumors floating around, but the real story apparently wasn’t what he was expecting. She did not go into too much detail, partially because they were in a public restaurant. But she gave him a pretty good idea about what happened; she tried to help a woman who was being assaulted, the guy injured himself while drunk, then not only pinned the incident on Chiyo but claimed she was trying to get money out of him in exchange for sexual favors. And how everything snowballed after that.

“The hell, man!” Ryuji ranted. “How much shittier can that asshole get?!”

Unsure of what to say, Chiyo just shrugged. She prodded her gyudon with her chopsticks while Ryuji continued, talking with food in his mouth. “So… you left your hometown, and.. You’re livin’ here now, huh?”

“That’s basically the gist of it,” said Chiyo.

“We might be more alike than I originally thought.”

Lowering her chopsticks, Chiyo pondered for a moment, recalling what she heard about Ryuji in Kamoshida’s Palace. Yeah, Ryuji was onto something. They both got royally screwed over while trying to do the right thing. “Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I guess so.”

“Y’know, you’re the first guy that made me think that.” His brow furrowed for a moment as he brought his bowl up. “I guess it’s how we’re treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us like we don’t belong. I did something stupid at school before, too.”

Ryuji brought the rim of his bowl to his lips and wolfed down the rest of it. “The place you’re livin’ now is in…” he paused, “Yongen, right?”

“Right.”

“It’s rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill some time before headin’ home.”

Wasn’t she doing that now? Not that Chiyo was complaining much. She was not in a rush to be grilled by Sojiro again and return to that lonely attic. “What the hell, man. You barely touched your food,” Ryuji said, causing Chiyo to jump.

All she had been doing was poking at it with her chopsticks. Chiyo honestly could not remember if she ever had gyudon before. She was used to leaner foods, red meat was a rarity for her. In truth, she wasn’t sure how her stomach would handle something this foreign. But a part of her was too embarrassed to admit it to Ryuji. She stomached Sojiro’s curry okay. Shouldn’t she handle a bit of gyudon?

Hesitantly, she brought the bowl up closer and tried a bite of the concoction. The mixture of flavors was mouth watering. The beef and rice flavored with bits of onion and soy sauce. Perhaps foolishly, Chiyo wolfed it down over savoring and taking her time. 

“There ya go,” said Ryuji. “Oh yeah!” He grabbed his phone out of his pocket. “Tell me your number. Chat ID too.”

Her mouth still full, Chiyo dropped her bowl and chopsticks to get her phone out. She hoped she didn’t come across as too eager and ended up scaring Ryuji away. After exchanging information, Chiyo returned her phone to its place and returned to her gyudon. “The volleyball rally’s tomorrow,” Ryuji said with a sigh. “Shit’s recommended by Kamoshida. Makes me wanna gag. But thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon, and we can walk around unnoticed. Perfect time to talk to the volleyball team. Guess we can work out further details tomorrow.”

Mouth full, Chiyo nodded.

Takamaki Ann sat by the vending machines with a black haired girl with her hair done up in a simple ponytail. The girl looked a bit down to her when Ann asked if anything was wrong, she just said she was having trouble sleeping. “Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things…”

“Shiho…” Ann murmured. 

“Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking… Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup?”

“Don’t worry.” Ann gave Shiho her best sunny smile. “Just be confident in yourself! Your skills have been recognized! It’s all because you work harder than anyone else!”

Shiho stared at her lap, her eyes darkening. “Yeah… Volleyball’s all I have, after all…”

“More importantly, was that injury okay? It looked really swollen.”

“It’s nothing. It’s normal… Especially since a meet’s coming up.”

Ann remained silent as a boy from her class approached the two. He and Shiho looked about equal in mood. “Sorry to interrupt, Suzui,” he said. “Kamoshida-sensei told me to get you.”

Shiho looked up, her brow rose instantly. “What does he want?” she asked. 

“He didn’t say…”

Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt. “Ann, I…”

“It’ll be fine!” Ann said cheerfully. “I bet it’s a meeting about the starting lineup or something.”

Slowly, if not a bit forcefully, a smile formed on Shiho’s lips. “Yeah…” She stood up, keeping her eyes on the ground. “I’d better get going…”

“Yup.” Ann pumped her hand into a fist. “Good luck!”

Shiho flashed her one more smile before she and the boy walked off. “Hang in there, Shiho…”

| Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you.  
---|---  
| Can you see this?  
| Got it!  
| I’m gonna be counting on you tomorrow, OK?  
| Do you want to meet outside school tomorrow morning?  
| Sure. I’ll see you then.!  
| Oh! That thingy on your phone was some red eyeball icon, right?  
| Yeah, red and black.  
| …Why?  
| I found it n my phone too…  
| WHAT?!  
| I don’t remember installing it!  
| Think it’s being downloaded on it’s own somehow?  
| Maybe…  
| It just appeared on my phone a few days ago  
| Kept coming back no matter how many times I deleted it.  
| It’s dangerous to use something without knowing what it is…  
| Which is why I TRIED to delete it.  
| It just acted on its own yesterday…  
| Seriously?!  
| But with it, we can go to that weird place, right?  
| I think so…  
| Basically, it’s gonna depend on how we use it.  
| But first we gotta find evidence on the beatings.  
| Don’t go ditching school on me.  
| Don’t worry, I’ll be there.  
  
Chiyo placed her phone on the boxes that served as her bedside table. She held her stomach as it started making bubbly sounds and groans again. She wasn’t throwing up, _yet_ , so she considered it a good sign.

When she returned to Leblanc Sojiro inquired as to where Chiyo had been all afternoon. All Chiyo said was that she was making friends. It was nothing Sojiro minded, so long as this friend wasn’t a bad influence. She was able to take a longer bath that evening before Sojiro locked up the store and changed into her pajamas when Ryuji sent the first IM.

Grabbing a handheld mirror and a pair of scissors, Chiyo stood up and studied her reflection. Her hair was longer than it was now not even six months ago. She thought the long hair would help sell the library girl. But now the library girl seemed a bit much, unnecessary. Ryuji was right, she could hear, she heard the rumors, the library girl wasn‘t helping. The library girl was putting distance between herself and others. The library girl was fun while she lasted, but she was no longer needed.

Besides, she was hardcore now. What did Chiyo need to put on an act for?

Chiyo placed the mirror on the shelf beside her bed. She ran her fingers through her hair, making sure the knots were out. Tugging at a lock she measured out the length she wanted it and readied the scissors.

_Sni-ip_

_Drip… Drip… Drip…_

Chiyo woke up to find herself in the cell in the Velvet Room. Robotically, she stood up and shuffled her way to the barred door. “Welcome to the Velvet Room,” greeted Igor.

“Yo,” Chiyo said dully.

“Is that the best you can do, Inmate?!” shouted Henry. “At least show some manners! You’re a lady aren’t you?”

Chiyo was incredibly tempted to respond with every curse she knew and their English translation. Igor chuckled, interrupting Chiyo before she could even contemplate which curse to start with. “I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you. What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?”

“More or less,” Chiyo said less flippantly. She wasn’t panicking anymore, not here anyway. The thought of being locked up for real though was enough to keep her awake at night.

“Glad to hear it. It seems you have nerves of steel.”

While Ryuji called her hardcore earlier that day, she wasn’t sure about Igor’s ‘nerves of steel’ when she was close to having a panic attack during her first visit. Nerves of steel? Chiyo wouldn’t go that far.

“Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped,” Igor continued. “Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven’t you?”

“You mean Ryuji?”

“Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery,” Igor said. Was he dodging the question? Was that supposed to be his way of answering? “You’ve done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships.”

“What’d you mean?” asked Chiyo.

“It must not be of frivolity, but as a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well.”

Robert turned his head to face Chiyo. “Personas are the strength of heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain.”

“There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn’t,” Henry said forcefully. “You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We can change that into power.”

“Indeed,” said Igor. “You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition. We have a deal then?”

Slowly, Chiyo nodded her head, yes, not wanting to let down someone who had this much faith in her. “You said ‘Personas’ earlier,” Chiyo said out loud. “As in plural?”

The familiar wail echoed across the Velvet Room. “This conversation is over,” said Henry. “Time to get back to reality, Inmate!”

**The Chariot Rank 1  
The Fool Rank 1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually argued with myself (and I’m still debating) what counts as Ryuji’s first rank. On the one than the talk on the roof last chapter


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger Warning: Suicide and implied sexual harassment**

**Chapter Five  
Trapped**

_“When you feel like giving up, just remember the reason why you held on for so long.”_  
\- Unknown

**Wednesday, April 13th**

Sojiro did a double take when Chiyo came downstairs that morning with her new hairstyle. What previously fell to her waist now fell just over Chiyo's shoulders. She cut the remaining hair into layers, and tied the shorter locks back into a ponytail, leaving the rest hanging freely. She tied her ponytail back with a hair tie that may have been made with an old bandana. Little frays stood up, as though it perfectly boxed the pinched area.

Chiyo liked it. And while she was fully expecting someone at school to say it was a ploy for attention, she wasn’t going to let it bother her. She knew why she cut it that‘s all that mattered. “Is it bad?” Chiyo asked while she twirled a lock between her fingers.

“It’s… different,” Sojiro chose his words carefully. “What brought this about?”

“Just felt like a change. I’ve always worn it long, so… I made sure to clean up afterward, don’t worry.”

“Why should I worry? _I’m_ not the one living in the attic.” His quip lacked the iciness and contempt Chiyo had grown accustomed to. Perhaps it was because Chiyo wasn’t behaving the same. They had their arguments but showed they could be civil so long as the other was. 

“Hey,” Sojiro called as Chiyo headed to the door, “you mind-”

“Flipping the sign,” Chiyo finished. “I got it.”

After taking the necessary trains, Chiyo started to overhear Shujin students bemoaning the volleyball rally. It was something Chiyo could understand, ball-related sports were never Chiyo’s forte. Fighting against each other so you could get the glory of making the winning goal or whatever the game required.

“Yo!” she heard. Chiyo stopped and turned to find Ryuji half-jogging to her. “Whoa, new hair?”

Chiyo replied with, “New hair. I liked my old style enough, but it doesn’t really suit someone as hardcore and me.”

Ryuji let out a howl of laughter before he clapped Chiyo on the back. “Look’s good on ya, though.”

“I knew it, that quiet-girl was an act.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Think someone rejected Kusakabe and that‘s why she‘s dropped it?”

“No. She would’ve attacked them if they did.”

Those were the whispers that followed Chiyo through the day. Some tried to figure out just why she dropped the act, why she just her cut her hair after two days. Or rather a day and a half.

That afternoon Chiyo sat with Ryuji during the volleyball rally. She wore the school’s tracksuit as it should have, red sweatpants, a white T-shirt, white track shoes and a red jacket. While Ryuji forwent the jacket, Chiyo wore her open.

The match between the teachers and students felt very one-sided. Volleyball was Kamoshida’s forte, the sport in which he won that Olympic medal for Japan. He was clearly the teacher’s ace in the hole. 

“Still sticks out,” Chiyo heard Ryuji mutter. “Hasn’t changed a bit.”

“Hm?”

She followed Ryuji’s gaze to find he was staring at Takamaki, who sat amongst the folding chairs in perfect view of the game. Instantly Chiyo’s thoughts went back to the cognitive Takamaki in Kamoshida’s castle. No matter how she looked at it the implications made her uncomfortable. And though Chiyo had yet to really speak to Takamaki herself, she was certain Takamaki would not appreciate the cognition.

The commotion on the volleyball court caught Chiyo’s attention. Kamoshida had just spiked the ball into the opposite side of the court at full-force. It ended up slamming smack into the face of the quiet, downtrodden boy Chiyo recognized from class. 

He fell back, bringing the game to a complete halt. Murmurs were heard around Chiyo as Kamoshida called for someone to take the boy to the nurse’s office. “Bastard,” Chiyo uttered under her breath. “If that was an accident, I’m laying golden eggs next month.”

“Acting like he’s worried about Mishima…” Ryuji took the stray volleyball into in hand and threw it out to the court. “He’ll pay soon enough.”

After that stunt, they left the gym and Ryuji lead Chiyo to the vending machines outside in the courtyard. There was a brief discussion between the two, discussing their game plan. While they could have covered more ground in less time, they decided that splitting up wasn’t the best way to go with Chiyo still recognizing and trying to place names with faces. The downside side was that either one of them could have ended up turning anyone away. But together… Well, it was bad enough that Ryuji was popping up with the two of them hanging out lately.

The boy’s they talked to were all banged up and damaged in one way or another. Chiyo knew injuries came with the athletic life, how many times had she injured herself training after all? How many sprained or twisted ankles? How many times did she dislocate something? It was to be expected. But the injuries on these boys were the type of injuries you’d see on a very special episode about bullying.

If there was any good news, the boys were willing to respond to their questions. But, despite the truth written all over their face and in their eyes, no one wanted to admit to Kamoshida’s abuse. Chiyo tried to come across as understanding and patient. More often than naught, whenever they brought up how common injuries were, Chiyo stressed that some of their injuries were too much for high school volleyball. 

The conversation would often end with them using the rumors surrounding Chiyo. That she would attack one way or another. A favorite rumor was that she could and would castrate a man if they rejected her. If only because of how outlandish it sounded to her. Oh, Chiyo did not doubt there was someone like that in the world, but the thought never crossed Chiyo’s mind.

The only thing bit of information they received was from a first-year player. He did not confess to the abuse but mentioned the special coaching Mishima was getting. In the first-year’s opinion, it was too far off. 

No sooner had the first-year excused himself the announcement echoed across the school, informing the student body to prepare to leave for the day. They parted ways to change uniforms with the intent to meet up in the courtyard.

Chiyo was the first to make it to the courtyard. She passed the time by scanning the contents the vending machine had to offer. Carbonated soda… Now there was something strictly off her previous diet. “Hey, can we talk for a sec?”

Chiyo whirled around to find Takamaki, still in her gym uniform standing behind her. “Depends,” said Chiyo.

“It’ll be quick,” said Takamaki. She crossed her arms over her chest, studying Chiyo briefly. “Anyway, what’s with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all. There’s those weird rumors about you too.”

“And whaddya want with her?”

Both girls looked to find Ryuji approaching the pair. “Right back at you!” Takamaki shot back. “You’re not even in our class.”

“We just…” Ryuji paused for a moment before replying, “happened to get to know each other.”

“What’re you planning on doing to Kamoshida-sensei?”

Chiyo bit on her knuckle. Of course, they couldn’t go through with questioning everyone unnoticed. The Violent Whore and the Track Traitor talking to different members of the volleyball team about Kamoshida. That was bound to raise a few questions. Amongst the student body, it didn’t bother Chiyo much. But what if the staff used this as an excuse to kick her out?

“Oh, I getcha,” Ryuji said bitterly. “You’re all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all.”

A flash of anger light up Takamaki’s eyes. “That has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!”

“If you found out what he’s been doin’ behind your back, you’d dump him right away.”

The anger in Takamaki’s eyes vanished, was taken aback. “Behind my back…?” she repeated slowly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ryuji shook his head. “You wouldn’t get it.”

“Anyway,” Takamaki threw a glance at Chiyo, “people are already talking about you two. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but no one’s gonna help you. I’m warning you… just in case. That’s all…”

She walked off before either of them could say anything else. The ordeal left Ryuji kicking at a random stone on the ground. “Why’s she gotta be so aggressive all the time?” he asked no one in particular. 

Chiyo inquired, “You know her?”

“We just went to the same middle school. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We gotta find Mishima before he leaves.”

“He’s the one who Kamoshida spiked, right? I recognize him from class. He always looks so beaten up.”

“Wouldn’t be too surprised if that’s the result of his ‘special coaching.’”

Luckily the found Mishima at the school entrance, he had changed out of his gym uniform and looked like he was ready to leave. There was evidence of a bloody nose on his face, dried blood that hadn’t been properly washed away by his nostrils. “Hey,” Ryuji called as he and Chiyo approached him, “you got a second?”

One look at Chiyo nearly made Mishima shrink. It wouldn’t have surprised her if he was more than a tad spooked by the rumors surrounding her. But on the other hand, he was willing to help her find the roof the other day. But then again that could’ve been because he was too afraid to ignore her. In the end, Chiyo didn’t know either way.

“We just have a few questions,” said Chiyo.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Ryuji leaned in towards Mishima. “Kamoshida’s been ‘coaching’ you, huh? You sure it’s not just physical abuse?”

Mishima froze for a moment before he turned his gaze away from the pair. “Certainly not!”

“What’re you talkin’ all polite for?” Ryuji asked under his breath.

“We just saw him spike you right in the face,” said Chiyo.

“That’s…” Mishima’s voice took on a miserable tone. “That was because I’m not good at the sport…”

“That’s hardly an excuse!” Mishima flinched when Chiyo raised her voice. Seeing the reaction, Chiyo toned it down. “And… And what about those other bruises you have?”

“They’re from practice! They happen!”

“Not to _this_ extent.”

“Look,” Ryuji spoke up n a hushed tone, “is he forcin’ you to keep quiet?”

“What’s going on here?” Kamoshia asked, approaching the group. “Mishima, isn’t it time for practice?”

Mishima turned his eyes down at the floor. “I-I’m not feeling well today…” he said just above a whispered.

“What?” Kamoshida spat. “Maybe you’re better off quitting then. You’re never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice.”

Glowering, Chiyo crossed her arms. “He might not be up for it because someone spiked him in the face. Surprised he didn’t break his nose.”

There was a twitch in Kamoshida’s brow that did not go unnoticed by Chiyo. Nor did the glint in his eye. The contradiction made it difficult for Chiyo to tell if he hated her and everything he thought she was or not. “Accident’s happen in the world of sports, Kusakaba-chan,” he said with an off-putting grin. I would think you, of all people, would know that.” The grin, thankfully, died after that. “If Mishima can’t handle it, then he shouldn’t be playing.”

Ryuji snapped, “He said he ain’t feelin’ well!” 

“I’ll go…”

Chiyo and Ryuji turned towards Mishima, who was looking as miserable as ever. “Very well, then.” Kamoshida turned his attention towards Ryuji and Chiyo. “As for you two, any more trouble and you’ll be gone from this school for sure. Didn’t the principal tell you to keep in line, Kusakabe? All these unsettling rumors are making the students anxious, after all.”

Once again, Kamoshida’s words contradicted the look he gave her. It was like she was a potential conquest to him. Something he had to dissect to understand… to control… The though caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up on end.

No. She already let someone else’s actions control her. She wouldn’t let any one else do it again. “Can’t imagine how they spread this fast.” Chiyo turned a hardened gaze on Kamoshida. “Only the staff could’ve known.”

His brow furrowing, Kamoshida crossed his arms over his chest. “Why don’t I like that look in your eye?” He shook his head, ridding himself of useless thoughts. “Let’s go, Mishima.”

“Asshole,” Ryuji uttered as soon as Kamoshida was out of earshot. “He’s gonna pay for this!”

“There’s no point,” Mishima said miserably. 

“What’re you talking about?” asked Chiyo.

“Proving that he’s physically abusing us… is meaningless. Everybody knows… The principal, our parents… They all know and they all keep quiet about it.”

“What…?”

_Chiyo struggled to keep up with Takuto as he dragged her into the house. She was a little amazed how well he navigated his way given his visits were few and far between. Ryou stayed behind, struggling to catch up as much as Chiyo._

_Takuto threw the door open and marched himself and Chiyo into the living room. The moment he released her hand he whirled himself around with an open palm. Ryou let out a gasp, just in time to witness her ex-husband’s hand meet with their daughter’s cheek._

_Chiyo stood still as a statue, her head turned to the side, forced over by the strike. Already the skin was beginning to turn red. “Stupid girl!” Takuto hissed through his teeth. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! Do you know who you assaulted?!”_

_“No!” Chiyo said coming out of her revelry. “Honest, I have no idea who he was! I didn’t-”_

_“I didn’t raise you to be some common whore!”_

_“You couldn’t have raised her to become anything.” Ryou approached Takuto. “You didn’t raise her at all!”_

_“Then I suppose it’s your fault she turned out like this.”_

_“Don’t pin this on me. If anything it’s from you. You’re hardly in her life and your nephew was the one who-”_

_“You’re the one who has her future planned out. You should have known what she was getting up to.”_

_“Will you just listen to me?!” Chiyo felt like she was on the verge of tears. Couldn’t they see how frightened she was, how confused she was? She was just trying to help someone and how she was about to be taken to court. “I didn’t mean… I was just… None of what she said…”_

_She stood dumbfounded while her parents continued to argue amongst themselves. It was Ryou’s fault Chiyo turned out like this. She was the one raising their daughter. Takuto was hardly in Chiyo’s life, where was she supposed to get a positive male influence?_

_Throughout their incessant arguing, Chiyo could feel tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. One thought was beginning to dawn on her; they believed some unknown man and woman over their own daughter._

Ryuji said in one breath, “This has gotta be joke…”

“Don’t be a pain!” Mishima snapped breaking away from that polite tone he used earlier. “You don’t understand what I’m going through. Shouldn’t _you_ of all people know that nothing’s going to help, Sakamoto?!”

Ryuji visibly flinched, something Mishima took as enough of an answer. He took off before either Ryuji or Chiyo could say anything else. Chiyo bit her lower lip, briefly wondering what would have happened if they had physical evidence. The way Mishima spoke, even physical evidence wouldn’t have helped much. As soon as it was out of their hands, it would likely be gone.

“Now what?” Chiyo asked miserably.

“I’ll… try one more time to persuade the other guys,” Ryuji said at length. “That’s… That’s all I can do.”

Feeling dejected, Chiyo went upstairs to retrieve her bag. She was walking out of the front doors, slinging her bag over her shoulder when she looked up. The sight of Niijima directly in front of her path could have caused Chiyo to jump out of her skin. “Uh… Senpai… the way out’s that way,” Chiyo said, pointing at the front gate.

“I’ve been hearing some interesting rumors today, Kusakabe,” Niijima said plainly. Absently, she guided a lock of hair behind her ear. “I can tell for myself that a fair amount of them are highly exaggerated. I sincerely doubt Principal Kobyakawa would have ever allowed you through his doors if the rumors regarding murder and castration were remotely true.”

Shrugging, Chiyo gave Niijima a lopsided grin. “I mean, you’re right, but those are the fun ones.”

Niijima’s brow furrowed, unimpressed with Chiyo’s little quip. “The point of the matter is, I’m not concerned about those rumors. At the moment anyway. What does concern me is the word going around that you and Sakamoto Ryuji are trying to slander Kamoshida-sensei.”

“Slander?” Chiyo repeated tiredly.

“I understand you’re still new, Kusakabe,” Niijima said with a surprisingly gentle tone. “But understand that Kamoshida-sensei has done so much for our school-”

“He’s an abusive ass,” Chiyo said plainly.

“Excuse me?” 

Niijima’s red-brown eyes appeared to shrink as soon as Chiyo mentioned the word ‘abuse.’ “Oh, don’t tell me you’re _that_ blind! Those poor volleyball players are far more banged up than they should be!”

The brunette’s head turned, her gaze fell downward. “I-I didn’t say…”

Mishima’s words bounced around in Chiyo’s head. If the Principal knew about Kamoshida’s abuses, then it stood to reason that Niijima knew. Which likely meant she was going to try and talk Chiyo and Ryuji out of their plight.

She walked around Niijima, biting back a scoff. “H-Hey!” her senpai called as Chiyo headed downstairs. Niijima followed a few steps. “I’m not done talking with you!”

“Well, I _am_!”

Chiyo returned to Leblanc with a couple packages of cup ramen. Though Sojiro had yet to outright say it she was pretty certain it was going to be up to her to feed herself. And between her own savings and the money Ryou gave her before she left Chiyo wasn’t really sure how long it would be before it started to dry up.

She was downstairs, waiting for the noodles to soften when her phone started to vibrate. Ryuji had just sent her an IM.

| Hey, this doesn’t make any damn sense.  
---|---  
  
So he didn’t have any more luck with the rest of the team.

| The principal and even the parents know about the abuse.  
---|---  
| Why ain’t anybody speaking up?!  
  
Chiyo tilted her head back, mulling over her choice of words for a moment. She took a quick slurp of her noodles before she sent back;

| They keep going on about how prestigious Shujin is, right?  
---|---  
| And that’s in part of Kamoshida’s volleyball team.  
| So long are appearances are favorable, adults don’t care what happens to the kids they’re supposed to be teaching.  
| The school clearly doesn’t care if students are getting hurt unless it’s affecting THEIR social standing.  
| Same with parents. So long as their child is viewed as perfect it doesn’t matter…  
| You…  
| You talking from experience?  
| Lemme put it this way, my dad didn’t even bother to make a token effort to see me off.  
| And my mom wouldn’t have only contacted me out of a sense of obligation.  
| They decided I was guilty before they could even hear my side of the story.  
| Damn…  
| Even if you’re on to something, that don’t give Kamoshida the right to do whatever he wants!  
| He’s beating kinds up, and all they’re allowed to do is endure.  
| And that follower of his doesn’t give one single shit…  
  
‘That follower?’ It didn’t really look like she was following with very much devotion from where Chiyo was standing. She took another bite of ramen, then replied;

| You mean Takamaki?  
---|---  
| Yeah, you had to have heard the rumors by now.  
| She’s in your class ‘n all.  
| Ugh! What a load of bull!  
| I can’t let it end like this.  
| I’m gonna try and find someone who knows about what’s going on with Kamoshida during break tomorrow.  
| Just you watch, I ain’t giving up!  
  
Chiyo couldn’t say she doubted it.

**Thursday, April 14th**

“Did you see Kamoshida-sensei play yesterday? He was so awesome! I think I might ask for his autograph after school.”

“I dunno if that’s such a good idea… I hear that you shouldn’t go near the PE faculty office. People say you can hear weird sounds, like screaming, even though no one’s there…”

“What? That’s probably just a rumor spread by fans to scare the competition.”

Chiyo had a difficult time staying awake through the morning. The ramen last night wasn’t quite agreeing with her stomach. The moaning and groaning was not the kind of sound Chiyo wanted to replace the silence with. How long did it take for one’s digestive system to readjust to a new diet?

During afternoon class Chiyo received an IM from Ryuji. Carefully taking it out, she hid it under the shadow of her desk.

| So about witnesses…  
---|---  
| I was wondering if we could get something outta Takamaki.  
  
Chiyo bit her lower lip as she thought about her reply. Based off of rumors and what she herself witnessed Takamaki was ‘with’ Kamoshida. But from where Chiyo stood Takamaki was rather hesitant about it. Maybe she would be willing to share a few things if she really wasn’t into it.

| Because she's ‘with’ Kamoshida?  
---|---  
| No, that ain’t why.  
| Just hear me out.  
| You know how we didn’t get a thing outta the volleyball team?   
| Yes, I know how.  
| I figured it’d be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them.  
| Takamaki’s BFF’s with a starter. A girl names Suzui.  
| I tried to talk to that girl during break, but I got nothing.  
| That’s why we should have Takamaki talk to her.  
| Then again, I guess it’d be hard getting her to help us…  
| It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?  
| It’s like you said, she’s with Kamoshida.  
| And she told us not to get involved yesterday.  
| Sorry. Lemme see what else I can come up with.  
  
“Shouldn’t you be heading to volleyball?” Ann asked politely. 

She was, once again, in the courtyard with Shiho, getting their talk in before one or the other had to leave for whatever reason. Shiho kept her gaze on her hands in her lap. She hadn’t been speaking as much as she used to recently. Ann told herself Shiho was simply getting worn out from practice. “That bruise above your eye… Is that from practice, too?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?”

Shiho tried to smile. “I’m okay… Volleyball’s the only thing I can do right…”

Ann was about to ask where that was coming from when her phone started to go off. “Shouldn’t you take that?” asked Shiho.

“It’s probably just my part-time job,” Ann said before quickly adding, “I think.”

Slowly, Shiho nodded in response. “I… should get going.”

“Shiho…” Ann said quietly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Of course.” Her friend stood up and took off before Ann could inquire any further.

Left alone, Ann pulled out her phone and placed it against her ear. “Yes? … Today won’t work… I’m… I’m not feeling so good… Sorry… Bye.”

Heading off to collect her thing, Ann placed her phone back in her pocket. She ignored the boys she walked past as they headed to the vending machine.

“Hey, wasn’t that Takamaki?”

“Rumor has it she’s dating Kamoshida.”

“Seriously?”

“I heard people saw them in his car together.”

“You know… she seems pretty easy, huh? You think I’d have a chance, too?”

“C’mon dude, you can’t go after Kamoshida’s bitch! You’d have better luck with that transfer student.”

“No way, man! They say she kills the men who piss her off!”

What a load…

Ryuji wanted to speak with her after school in the courtyard. With her bag laced over her shoulder, Chiyo headed towards the door, half-expecting Ryuji to reveal her turned up with nothing again. A girl stood in front of the door, with her phone in her hand. Her black hair was done up in a high ponytail, while a couple of locks hung free, framing her face. The only thing missing from her uniform was the blazer, but she abided by the school rules well enough. Upon closer inspection on the girls face, Chiyo could see she looked fairly banged up, there was even a wrap around her left knee.

“Excuse me,” Chiyo spoke up. Letting out a little ‘hm’ the girl looked up to find Chiyo. “I just want to get by.”

“Oh…” She looked away from Chiyo, something about the look in the girl’s eyes cause a bit of concern in her. “Sorry…”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. Are… you okay?”

“Uh… well…” The girl held onto one arm, her eyes darting around, looking for something until she got a good look at Chiyo. “You don’t look familiar. You wouldn’t happen to be that transfer student from Class D, would you?”

Chiyo bit her lower lip. “Yeah…” she forced out.

The girl looked down for a moment. “This… might not be any of my business,” she said, “but don’t let the rumors get to you, okay…?”

“Huh?” Well, if that wasn’t a first. “Why’d you say that?”

“Well, I’ve helped with a similar situation before… My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks… Sorry. I didn’t mean to drag on like that.”

“It’s okay.” Chiyo held a hand up. “Really. Thanks for your concern.”

“Anyway, I have to go to practice. I’ll see you around.”

Chiyo watched girl walk off, wondering if she should have said something encouraging to her. She looked like she was going through quite a bit. But she disappeared into the sea of faces before Chiyo could come to a conclusive decision.

She found Ryuji by the vending machines moments later, his arm crossed over his chest and foot tapping impatiently. “No luck,” Chiyo guessed.

He surprised her by slamming his fists against one of the machines. “All of ‘em kept sayin’ the same shit Mishima was talkin’ about! Kamoshida must have told ‘em something! At this rate… it looks like we’ll have to go to him directly…”

“That’s suicide,” Chiyo said bluntly. 

“I know, but I can’t think of anything else. No way I’m gonna give in like this! Can’t you think of anything?”

Chiyo held her arm in one hand as she gripped her chin in though. Being as direct as they could in the moment wasn’t getting them anywhere. “The best way to handle this situation is a sneak attack.”

“That’d be fine if we could do it without getting’ caught, but... If we did, we’d be seriously done for.”

“But we have a way of going in without getting caught!” Chiyo realized. Her heart started to pound so much she could hear it in her ears. Why didn’t they consider it before? “The king’s overdue for a little coup d'état.”

“A what?”

“We punish the king.”

Chiyo could have started bouncing in place when she saw the gears turning in Ryuji’s head. “You mean the other world’s Kamoshida?” he asked in a hushed tone.

She shook her head vigorously. “It’s Kamoshida’s inner heart, or whatever, right? If we could mess with it, maybe it’ll affect the Kamoshida in reality.” Her bravado died immediately when she realized the gaping hole in the plan. “But… we still don’t know much about that world… We’d need Morgana’s help again. Crap…”

“I head my name!” shouted a familiar boyish voice. “I finally found you!”

“You say something?” Ryuji asked Chiyo.

“Did that sound remotely like me?”

Suddenly, a black cat with white patches of fur around its muzzle, paws, and the tip of its tail wearing a yellow collar ran into the courtyard. The feline effortlessly leaped onto the roundtable for students to use after school and during break. “Don’t think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you!” a familiar voice asserted from the cat’s direction.

Chiyo’s back slid down her arm when she leaped back. The cat’s coloration, it’s voice, even the yellow collar… “No. _Way._ ”

“That voice…” Ryuji said with a shaky voice. “Is that you, Morgana?!”

“How dare you, up and leaving me yesterday!” the cat ranted, still using Morgana’s voice.

“The cat’s talkin’?!”

Hair standing up on end along his back, Morgana turned to face Ryuji. “I am _not a cat!_ ” he asserted. “This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two.”

“Wait… You came to our world?!” questioned Ryuji. “Does that mean you’ve got a phone?!”

Despite Morgana’s assertion that he wasn’t a cat, he sat himself down and started licking one of his front paws. “You don’t need one when you’re at my level,” he said haughtily. “I did get pretty lost making my escape though…”

“That aside,” began Ryuji, “why can you talk?! You’re a cat!”

“How should I know?!”

“Though I do suppose this draws in less attention than your other form,” Chiyo noted under her breath. 

“Sounds like you guys are having a rough time of this, hm?” Morgana asked, scratching his ear with his back leg. “I heard you mention something about witnesses.”

“Oh, shuddup,” spat Ryuji.

“You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida. Though, Frizzy Hair was pretty close just a moment ago.”

“Still Chiyo,” she said. “So there is something we can do in there to affect reality?”

A silence came over the group as a couple of teachers Chiyo didn't recognize came walking by within earshot.

“We really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this?” she heard.

“I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn’t you hear it?”

“Make sure you check every nook and cranny around.”

“Meow?” Ryuji asked in hushed tone. “Does that mean only us two can understand what you’re sayin’?”

“Looks like it. We’ll have to take this conversation elsewhere.” Chiyo placed her bag on the table. “Here climb in.”

She could feel the added weight of Morgana on her shoulder. And if this turned into a regular thing, she would likely feel it on her neck as well. Chiyo followed Ryuji through the school, up to the roof. Along the way, there were several whispers about Ryuji being the first one to ‘get’ Chiyo, with some wondering whether or not she had standards. She did not roll her eyes until they got to the storage room.

On the roof Chiyo gently dropped her bag, allowing Morgana to climb out. “So,” Ryuji said, not bothering to beat around the bush, “you said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?”

Before he answered, Morgana stretched out his back. “It has to do with what Chiyo was talking about earlier,” he explained. “You’ll need to attack his castle.”

“What do you mean?”

“That castle is how Kamoshida views this school.”

“Alright.” Chiyo nodded. “We got that.”

“He doesn’t realize what happens in there, but it’s deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida.”

“What’d happen then?” Ryuji crossed his arms.

“A Palace is a manifestation of a person’s distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more…”

Chiyo’s brow rose. “He wouldn’t have those desires anymore…”

“Exactly! You sure pick up things fast!”

“For real?! We do this and turn’s good?” Slowly, Ryuji’s brow creased together, a thought dawned on him. “But… is that really gettin’ back at him?”

“Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart,” explained Morgana. “However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he’ll confess them himself!”

“You for real?! That’s possible?!”

Chiyo’s hand hovered in front of her mouth in wonder. “How perfect would that be?” she said in a hushed tone. “The school won’t do anything, no one will say anything… What better way to take him down than have him confess to his crimes?”

“And since the Palace will no longer exist, he’ll forget what we did there as well,” Morgana purred. “Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won’t be even a trace of your involvement.”

Ryuji exclaimed, “That’s amazing! You are one incredible cat!”

“True. Except for the cat part!”

“But how do we get rid of the Palace?” Chiyo asked.

“By stealing the Treasure held within,” Morgana said with a low but still whimsical voice. 

“Stealing?” Ryuji echoed.

“I’ll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It’s my most valuable, secret plan, after all. If you want to help me out, I’ll gladly teach you. What’s your call?”

“Our luck’s runnin’ dry lookin’ for witnesses.” Ryuji turned in head in Chiyo’s direction. “Guess we have no choice but to go along…”

“And it does seem like the perfect plan,” Chiyo agreed.

“Good.” Morgana purred happily. Shook his head, which traveled all the way down to his backside. “Oh, right. There’s one more thing I should tell you. If we erase a Palace, there’s no doubt that the person’s distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love - those sort of things.”

“What’re you gettin’ at?” asked Ryuji.

“If all those yearnings were to vanish, they’d be no different than someone who has shut down entirely.”

Blood turning cold, Chiyo’s hand balled into a fist in front of her mouth. Her heart was pounding in her chest again, but not out of some joy, some realization, but of dread. “S-So what you’re saying is…”

“They may very well die,” finished Morgana, “if they’re not given proper care.”

If that didn’t throw a wrench into an otherwise perfect plan. As much as Chiyo wanted Kamoshida out of the school, was she willing to stoop to murder, even accidental murder, to do it? Kamoshida’s a world-class ass, no doubt, but was that enough of a reason to play god with someone else’s life?

She glanced over at Ryuji, she could see the conflicting emotion on his face. The doubt. The second-guessing. “Would their death be our fault?” Ryuji asked his voice shaking like a leaf.

“Aren’t you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?” Morgana said coldly.

“How can you be so casual about that?!” Chiyo demanded, her arms partially outstretched and fingers spread. “We want him out of the job, sure, but at the price death? That’s opening a whole slew of moral and ethical questions.”

“Sheesh…” Morgan’s eyes rolled. “I come all this way, and this is what I get. It’s not like anyone will ever find out.”

“That’s not the point!” Ryuji snapped. “If we got around secretly don’ whatever the fuck we want, we’d be no better Kamoshida…”

“Isn’t this your only option?” Morgana challenged. Letting out another sigh he said, far calmer now, “I’ll come back later. Make sure you’ve made your decision by then.”

Shaking himself over once more, Morgana took off running. He climbed up the chain-link fence onto the parapet on the opposite side. “Goddammit!” Ryuji kicked at the ground. “We’re gettin’ all worked up for nothing…”

Chiyo rubbed her temple. “I know… If there wasn’t the threat of death, it’d be no question but… I mean, even if he died, wouldn’t his crimes go with him?”

“I’ll try and see if I can figure out another way… Let’s just get outta here.”

| Hey, I heard something that got my attention.  
---|---  
| About that Suzui girl… Looks like rumors are going around about her and Kamoshida.  
|  If they’re true, it’s no wonder I couldn’t get her to talk.  
| Still, something about that doesn’t seem right.  
| What do you mean?  
| It’s nothing so clear-cut, but…  
| I’ve known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school.  
| There’s just no way Kamoshida’s their type, y’know?  
| Actually I don’t. I don’t know them.  
| Take my word for it. He ain’t their type.  
| Still. I gotta wonder where those rumors came from.  
| Well, whatever. I’ll try asking around some more.  
  
Chiyo had just made it to Ginza line when Ryuji sent her an IM. Had she felt more confident about finding her way around the station, she would have texted while she walked. But that was not the case. She stopped while they chatted. Now finished, she continued her trek into Shibuya station square.

She wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she returned to Leblanc. Though with each passing day she was growing more and more tempted to try a cup of coffee. 

“Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I’m not feeling up to it!”

Startled, Chiyo followed the source of the voice to find Takamaki. From the looks and sounds of it, she was in the middle of a very heated phone conversation. “Wait, what?!” Takamaki gasped. “That’s not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! … This has nothing to do with Shiho!”

Chiyo watched as Takamaki lowered her arm, the phone along with it. She crouched down to hug her knees close to her. She heard Takamaki say something, but couldn’t quite make out what exactly. Fully aware it could go very bad, very fast, Chiyo slowly approached Takamaki. “Um…”

Takamaki turned her head, seeing Chiyo standing in front of her, she quickly shot to her feet and took a couple of steps back. “We-Were you listening?”

“Sorry…” Chiyo turned her gaze from her.

“Haven’t you heard of privacy?” Takamaki snapped. Her eyes softened instantly. “No… That was out of line. Sorry… So how much did you hear?”

“Something about your friend.”

“It’s nothing at all.”

“You don’t end a call like that over nothing.”

“I said it was nothing!”

Takamaki took off on the verge of tears. Instantly, Chiyo broke out after her into the Underground Walkway. Down a flight of stairs, down a flight of escalators. Takamaki must have known Chiyo had given chase when she finally stopped she turned on her to face Chiyo. “Stop following me…” she pleaded. “Just leave me alone!”

“Calm down,” Chiyo said seemingly unphased by Takamaki’s outburst, “you’re going to get yourself worked up at this rate.”

Takamaki’s jaw fell open slightly, clearly not expecting something like that from someone of Chiyo’s reputation. “Why…?” she asked weakly. “Why do you keep worrying about me?”

“Because you look like you could use a shoulder,” Chiyo said simply. “And I have the time.”

Instantaneously Takamaki’s eyes watered. Her head bent lower, her shoulder shook, allowing herself to release the sob. “Why don’t we got somewhere safe,” Chiyo suggested.

Takamaki looked up to stare at Chiyo with tear-tracks visible on her cheeks. “What the heck?” she asked in a weak, resigned tone. “I really don’t get you…”

“What’s there to get?”

Despite her insistent for Chiyo to leave her alone, they found themselves at a Big Bang Burger. Both had ordered a glace of ice water until the glasses arrived there was an awkward silence between the girls. But as soon as the waitress left, Takamaki finally spoke up. “I don’t have anything to talk about with you.” She turned her head, avoiding eye contact with the girl in front of her. “It was just an argument…”

“With… Kamoshida?” Chiyo asked tentatively, hoping she didn’t overstep her boundaries.

“You’ve heard the rumors… haven’t you?” Takamaki held her head in one hand. “About Kamoshida-sensei. Everyone says we’re getting it on. But… that’s so not true..! That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number… for the longest time… He told me to go to his place after this… You know what it means.”

She grabbed the napkin she was playing around with, holding it in her grip until her knuckles turned white. Chiyo remained respectfully silent, waiting for Takamaki to make her piece. “If I turn him down, he said he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team,” Takamaki’s voice started to warble. A new slew of tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ve been telling myself this is all for Shiho’s sake, but…” She sat back in her seat, avoiding eye contact with Chiyo. “I can’t take it anymore…”

Chiyo’s sympathies went out to Takamaki. Sure, Chiyo had dealt with her own brand of slut-shaming and harassment back home. But all of that ended with a new phone and when she came to Tokyo, for the most part anyway. But Takamaki… The way she talked made it sound like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She couldn’t help her appearance, and now she was being harassed by a man who should have known better.

“I’ve had enough of this… I hate him! But still… Shiho‘s my best friend.” Takamaki’s voice warbled farther as the floodgates were torn down. “I hate him!” One breath in, she forced herself to calm down. “She’s all I have left at that sorry excuse for a school!” She took a moment to breathe, calming down slightly with tears still in her eyes. “Tell me… What should I do?”

Blinking twice, Chiyo turned her gaze down at the table, her hands gripped the fabric of her skirt under the table. She thought back to Morgana’s suggestion about a change of heart, it was growing tempting with each thing Chiyo discovered. But the threat of death hung over her like a dark rain cloud. If they went through with it and Kamoshida died, wouldn’t he go beloved? Wasn’t the risk worth it?

“Sorry…” Takamaki dried her eyes. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not your problem, and it sounds like have enough of your own.” She sighed. “What am I even saying? I’ve barely even talked to you before…”

“But you did need someone to talk to,” Chiyo pointed out. She ran her right thumb across the center of her left palm from under the table. She paused when her thumb was met with the center scar. While the others hurt when they happened, Chiyo came close to begging her mom to take her to a doctor when the first one happened.

Once again, Takamaki’s jaw fell open in disbelief. “You’re a weird one,” she said plainly. “Usually everyone just ignores me.”

Chiyo shrugged and gave Takamaki a lopsided grin. Takamaki released a breathy scoff. “You really don’t seem as bad as the rumors say you are,” she said.

“Ah, my favorite so far has been the ones about castrating men who reject me,” said Chiyo.

Another breathy scoff from Takamaki, even her shoulders shook. So far it was the closest Chiyo has gotten to making her laugh. “I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations,” she said. “You seemed lonely that first day - almost like you didn’t belong anywhere…”

Chiyo looked down at the table, avoiding eye contact with Takamaki. It was as though looking at her would confirm how on the mark Takamaki was. “We’re the same in that regard,” said Takamaki. “Maybe that’s why it was so easy for me to talk to you.” She paused for a moment and rested her head in her hand again. “Is there really no way for me to help Shiho…? I wish he’d just change his mind… Like, forget about me, and everything…”

“Well, from an outsider’s perspective,” said Chiyo, “it sounds like you and your friend could use a nice, long, honest conversation.”

Takamaki’s eyes turned towards Chiyo, staring at her for a moment before she sat back in her seat. “I suppose,” she admitted. “But with the tournament coming up, I might not be able to until after.”

“And… you never know. Kamoshida could give it up.”

“Have I already mentioned you’re a weird one? But I do feel a bit better now. I’m gonna head home.” She finished up her glass, shrugged her bag over her shoulder, then stood up. “Don’t tell anyone what I told you, okay?”

“Hey, I know as well as you how bad these things can get if they’re released to the public.”

“I’ll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. And… Well, thanks.”

“Suzui!”

Shiho glanced over her shoulder to find Mishima half-jogging up to her. “Are you leaving?” he asked.

“What is it?”

Mishima refused to look her in the eye. “Kamoshida-sensei is asking for you,” he said. “He’s in the PE faculty office.”

Shiho felt her blood run cold. “What did he say?”

“I don’t know. I… I have to go.”

Shiho looked down at her hands, which were shaking. She could hear a whisper in her ear, that she’d better go to him before he cut her. Volleyball was all she was good for after all.

**Friday, April 15th**

“So, I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government,” Ushimaru said during his morning lecture. “The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable.”

Chiyo covered a yawn with the back of her hand. Sleep was a bit better last night in the sense that her stomach wasn’t bothering her. But the dilemma Morgana brought about he yesterday. It was clear to her that Takamaki didn’t want a relationship with Kamoshida, but he was pressuring her into it, using Suzui and her standing on the volleyball team to get what he wants. It felt like each bit of new information Chiyo learned about Kamoshida was just another reason why they should take the risk.

“So,” she heard coming from her desk. “Have you made up your mind?”

Chiyo looked down to find Morgana’s head poking out from the inside of her desk. _‘How?! How?! How?! How?! How?!’_ Chiyo thought, trying to remain nonchalant. _‘How’d he even know this was my desk?!’_

“Come on,” Morgana insisted, ignoring the panic in Chiyo’s eyes. “No matter how much thinking you do, there’s only one option. You’d be better off listening to me.”

At the front of the room, Ushimaru paused to scan the room. “Did I hear a cat just now?” 

Cautiously, Morgana eased back into Chiyo’s desk while murmurs arose amongst the class. “Could be that rumored cat somewhere nearby…” Ushimaru said to himself. “Alright, settle down! We’re in the middle of an important lecture!”

To further Chiyo’s discomfort her phone started to buzz. As soon as Ushimaru turned his back to the class to draw up a diagram Chiyo pulled out her phone and hid it under the shadow of her desk.

| It’s no use… I can’t think of any other way…  
---|---  
| Just concentrate on class.  
| I can’t deal with that shit right now. I mean, what’re we gonna do about Kamoshida?  
| Do we just gotta go along with what the cat says?  
| Urgh that damn furball…  
| He’s hiding in my desk right now…  
| Wait, for real?!  
  
“Hey… What’s that?!”

Chiyo looked up to find one of her classmates on his feet, who was looking out the window. Those closest to him followed his gaze, their attention on something across the hall. “That’s enough,” Ushimaru ordered. “We’re in the middle of class!”

“Wait…” one of the female students uttered. “Is she.. Is she going to jump?!”

Several students had risen to their feet. “Suzui?!” Mishima gasped, spotting the girl in question out the window.

Takamaki was on her feet as soon as Mishima spoke. Despite Ushimaru’s attempts to keep order students were rushing out of the room. Takamaki shoved her classmates out of her path as she ran, with Chiyo, forgetting about Morgana, followed close behind.

Arriving at one of the windows Chiyo instantly recognized Suzui as the girl she talked to briefly yesterday. She had climbed over the chain-link fence and stood at the very edge of the roof, looking down. 

Lifting her head, Suzui looked like she was about to have second thoughts. She turned back towards the fence, as though contemplating on climbing over. Reaching out for the fence, Suzui froze in place for a split second. She looked back down…

Then leaned forward.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning:** Suicide and sexual harassment/threats of sexual assault

**Chapter Six  
Carmen**

_“Men of Paris_  
Before we get old  
Come feel the heat  
Come taste the desire”  
\- “Rhythm of the Tambourine,” Hunchback of Notre Dame

**Friday, April 15th**

Chiyo’s hands flew to her mouth as several students, Takamaki included, screamed as soon as Suzui threw herself off the roof. Ushimaru tried to get the student’s to calm down and return to class with no results. _‘Holy shit… Holy shit! Holy shit!’_

Takamaki tore forward, bumping into Chiyo in her rush. Chiyo stood stone still as Takamaki disappeared down the hall and downstairs. She forced her legs to move, she had to see for herself whether or not Suzui survived the fall or not. She had to see for herself, not hear several conflicting stories through word of mouth.

It did not take long before Ryuji and his class filed out of their room. Meeting up with him, Chiyo grabbed onto him by the upper arm. Her hands were shaking terribly. “H-Hey!” Ryuji stuttered. He held his hands out on either side of Chiyo, unsure of what to do. “What’s goin’ on?! Everyone’s freakin’ out!”

“It’s Suzui…” Chiyo paused to swallow, her mouth had suddenly turned dry. “She just jumped off the roof!”

“Shit! She should be in the courtyard, right?!”

“I think so…”

She ushered Ryuji around before they sprinted downstairs to the first floor. In front of the courtyard, exit students were crowded around the door. Ryuji held onto Chiyo by the wrist as he pushed their way through the crowd.

Between Suzui’s fall and that very moment, someone had called an ambulance. Suzui was loaded onto a stretcher. All the while students observing the scene had their phones out, taking pictures or videos of the scene. Chiyo looked around her, incredibly tempted to smack someone’s phone out of their hand. Didn’t any one of these idiots realize what they were doing was just fucked up? Suzui could be dying and all they could do was take pictures?!

“What the fuck is wrong with these people?!” Ryuji hissed, voicing what was running through Chiyo’s mind.

“We need someone to go with her,” one of the paramedic’s called. “Are there any teachers around?”

“I’ll go!” Takamaki called. “I know her, I’ll go!”

The paramedic gave Takamaki an approving nod, allowing her at Suzui’s side. Takamaki knelt down beside Suzui as the paramedic’s prepared to load her up. “Shiho…” Takamaki whispered, barely able to hold back her tears. “Why…?”

Suzui’s eyes opened, however, her gaze was unfocused. “Ann…?” she questioned through her broken voice. “I’m sorry. I… I can’t take this… anymore…”

“What?” Takamaki lowered her ear to Suzui’s lips allowing her to tell her just why. Whatever Suzui said was heard by Takamaki alone, but her face paled as Suzui told her story. “Huh… Kamoshida?!”

Suzui lost consciousness, unable to respond to Takamaki’s follow-up questions. Between seeing her friend this broken, and the revelation she revealed to her, all Takamaki could do was scream.

Chiyo felt the need to cry as the paramedic’s loaded Suzui onto the back of the van. Yesterday, it seemed like Suzui would have given her a legitimate chance. Really she was one of the more nicer students Chiyo came across. To think someone like Suzui was pushed so far over the edge…

Mishima’s panic-stricken yell had caused both Chiyo and Ryuji to whip around and spot him amongst the crowd. He broke out into a run back into the school, nearly tripping over himself in the process. One look exchanged between Ryuji and Chiyo was all it took before they gave chase after him.

They cornered Mishima, literally. “Why’d you run like that?” Ryuji demanded.

If Mishima was trying to be cool and simply shrug it off, he was failing miserably. His body language, poster, eyes, all gave away the intense emotions going through him. “I didn’t run…”

“She jumped and tried to kill herself!”

“L-Leave me alone…”

“Mishima, please!” Chiyo pleaded. She held a hand over her chest, as though that were enough to reassure Mishima. “If you know something you can tell us. If she dies shouldn’t her family know why?”

She heard Mishima’s sharp intake of breath. His eyes suddenly grew wide, fit to burst. Trembling something fierce, Mishima held his head in his hands. “Suzui…” he warbled, “she was called out by Kamoshida-sensei!”

“Kamosida?!”

“I was called by him a number of times too… to the teacher’s room. It wasn’t just me or Suzui either. He’d nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them.”

“Oh my god…”

“So the physical punishment was for real….” murmured Ryuji.

“But yesterday,” continued Mishima, “he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn’t make any mistakes or anything… Kamoshida-sensei seemed really irritated that day, so it must’ve been… worse than usual…”

“That son of a bitch!” Ryuji snapped.

Without warning, Ryuji took off down the hall. And Chiyo had the sinking suspicion where he was going. She called his name and ran after him leaving Mishima alone. The boy simply watched. Balling up one hand, he followed after the pair.

Chiyo was certain she bumped into someone. But at the moment she couldn’t bring herself to care. As much as Mishima’s story angered her, as much as she hated Kamoshida in that moment, she was worried for Ryuji. She only knew his for three days, but Chiyo picked up quickly that he was not one for keeping his head level when angry. He may end up pissing off Kamoshida at this rate.

For better or worse, it did not take them long to find Kamoshida, he was working at his desk in the PE faculty office. How casual he presented himself only served to anger Chiyo further. The other teachers were trying to retain order, assure the students that there was nothing to worry about. Suzui was in professional hands, she would be fine. Shouldn't Kamoshida make a token effort to care about what happened to someone on his volleyball team? 

“You bastard!” Ryuji roared upon entering. “The hell did you do to that girl?!”

Kamoshida half-turned, wearing a look of contempt. “What are you talking about?”

Ryuji kicked a near-by folding chair off its legs and onto its side. “Don’t play dumb with me!”

“That’s enough!”

“What did you have Suzui come here for?” Chiyo asked, her volume controlled in comparison to Ryuji. But by the sudden deep tone she had taken, there was no mistaking her anger. “We heard she came in here yesterday. What for?”

“And why should I tell you?” Kamoshida asked. He carried a look of contempt that Chiyo couldn’t help but read as condescending. 

“You ordered me to call Suzui here!” Mashima cried, holding his head in his hands again. “I can only imagine what you did to her!

“You’re going on and on about things you have no proof of,” Kamoshida said. He pushed himself away from his desk and stood up. “Basically, you’re simply making these claims because you can’t be a regular on the team, right? Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… what can you do? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui’s in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim… How would someone like that make a statement?”

Oh, Chiyo wished those castration rumors surrounding her were even remotely true in that moment. But she didn’t know anything about even cutting off a finger, let alone someone’s penis. Heck even her self-haircut was only the result of good luck. On the other hand, would being precise about it even matter?

“There’s no chance of her getting better, I hear,” Kamoshida continued. “The poor girl.”

Chiyo could see Ryuji trembling, just barely restraining himself turning violent. “You goddamn…”

“This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of ‘self-defense?’”

“ _Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!_ ” Like lightning, Ryuji brought his fist back, gearing for the attack. A smug grin played upon Kamoshida’s lips as he simply watched the scene play out. It was like a card game, you need to know when to fold them, and when to play. Luckily Kamoshida had become quite the card shark when his opponents were the students.

“ _Ryuji!_ ”

Chiyo grabbed onto her friend by the forearm, preventing him actually making contact with Kamoshida. The more stubborn part of Ryuji was ready to argue. After everything this… thing had done, Suzui, the volleyball team, the track team, one punch was the least he deserved. To hell with the consequences! 

But Chiyo had a look in her eyes, not unlike the one she gave him when he awakened his Persona. Eyes contracted, her brow furrowed low. Added with the cool grey color of her eyes, Chiyo had never looked so cold. There was no mistaking it, Chiyo was just as enraged as Ryuji was. She just preferred tranquil fury. 

“Oh? You’re stopping him?” Kamoshida asked with the same tone of condescendence his Shadow-self possessed. “What a surprise. There’s no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Oh… but you can’t. Of course, you can’t!”

There were several things Chiyo wanted to reply with. Several comebacks, taunts. But she held back, with all her willpower, she held back. As much as she hated it, it was the wisest move she had. Anything Chiyo specifically had to say would no doubt be twisted into a threat, an innuendo, something discriminating. 

Kamoshida let out a ‘tsk’ before he went back to his desk. “Everyone present right now,” he said taking a seat, “will be expelled. I’m reporting all of you at the next board meeting.”

Chiyo went cold for a moment, Sojiro’s multiple warnings smacked into her all at once. She could already hear the lecture he would give her if and when Kamoshida’s threat came to past. ‘Not even a week in! You couldn’t even manage that!’

“You can’t make a decision like that!” Mishima argued, finding a bit of his courage. 

“Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you‘re just as responsible.”

But wasn’t Mishima a good, decent student? Wouldn’t a sudden expulsion for him raise a few eyebrows? No sooner had Chiyo considered the thought she hated herself for missing the obvious. It was Kamoshida they were dealing with. And from what Chiyo saw of him, Kobayakawa certainly came across as a professional ass-kisser. Whatever Kamoshida wants, Kamoshida gets.

“To think you didn’t know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team,” Kamoshida scoffed. “You act like you’re a victim, but you leaked Kusakabe’s records, didn’t you? It‘s all over the internet, correct?”

She could not stop the instant, _‘Huh?’_ before turned to look at the wide-eyed, trembling Mishima. Chiyo remembered his reaction when she approached him for directions on her first day. But Chiyo simply assumed he listened to the rumors… until she remembered Mishima’s relieved expression when she asked him her question. Had Mishima assumed Chiyo realized he was the one behind the rumors?

“He told me to do it…” Mishima sunk to his knees. “I had no choice…”

“This conversation is done,” Kamoshida said simply. “You’re all expelled.”

Chiyo could see Ryuji contemplating a possible comeback, physical or verbal. But she grasped onto his arm again and shook her head when he shot a glance at her. Chiyo knelt down, then grasped Mishima by the shoulder. He looked at her in the face, tears staining his cheeks, likely at his limit. Chiyo gestured with her head for him to stand up, then repeated the gesture for Ryuji, signaling him to move.

Bringing up the rear of the group, proved to be Chiyo’s mistake. Kamoshida grabbed her by the arm and shoved her back. She heard Ryuji start the beginning of a curse as Kamoshida pushed Ryuji and Mishima out of the room. He closed the door shut keeping himself and Chiyo in, and locked the door behind him. 

_‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, fucking fuck, shit, fuck!’_

In spite of, or because of, the sudden turn of events what surprised, and arguably disturbed, Chiyo the most was the tone Kamoshida took when he spoke to her. “You something of an enigma, Kusakabe, you know that?” he asked, suddenly as pleasant and jovial as the day Chiyo met him. “I hear ‘criminal record’ and ‘compensated dating’ and you are not what comes to mind.”

Given how easily Chiyo could change character since arriving at Shujin she may not have had the right to complain. But how fast and how easily Kamoshida changed character unnerved her. Not even five minutes ago he was gearing to expel her. And now he was like… this? 

“I don’t know why a girl like you is hanging around with the likes of Sakamoto and Mishima…” He stood up. Instantly, Chiyo took a step back. He was the one who spread the rumors about her, he was telling Takamaki to stay away. Where the fuck did this come from?

“What do you care?” Chiyo asked incredulously. “You’re about to be rid of me, remember?”

Kamoshida briefly held his head in his hand. “Didn’t think I’d have to spell it out for you, of all people.” He reached out for Chiyo’s arm and brought her in closer though she actively fought against it. “Do you want to keep your future? Give me something in return. Let’s see if your reputation precedes you. I know how flexible you are.”

Chiyo shoved him back, the momentum forced her back against the wall. What the fuck, what the fuck, _what the actual fuck?!_

“I don’t know what lies Sakamoto fed you,” Kamoshida continued as though nothing happened, “but don’t let anyone tell you I’m not an unreasonable man. You want to stay in school, earn the right. Heck, I’ll be generous and save Sakamoto and Mishima’s hides for you.”

How stupid did Kamoshida think she was? At best, Chiyo agreed to this and Kamoshida would find a new way to get rid of all three of them. At worse he would dangle the boy’s futures in front of her. He would keep her on his hook until her probation was up.

“I would think you’re used this sort of thing,” said Kamoshida. “I’m _hardly_ the first person who exchanged sex for goods with you. And with a bod like yours, works like yours, I get why you‘d do that sort of thing.”

Chiyo could have punched him if she thought it would do anything outside of momentary satisfaction. She hated so much these days. Her parents for refusing to take her side. The man who tarnished her reputation in so many ways. The woman she tried to help for going along with the man. Sojiro for acting so put upon when housing Chiyo was his choice. Kamoshida for… so much. And it amazed her how intense her hate could get in one day.

Kamoshida let out an aggravated sigh. “You spend the last three days with Sakamoto and _now_ you have standards?!” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a basic fact of life, you want on my volleyball team, you earn it. You want to stay in school, keep your probation, you earn it. If you don’t want my generous offer, whatever happens next is on you.”

Generous offer? Yeah, live up to the rumors and claims surrounding her in exchange for her stay in school. Blackmail, so generous. 

Why was he even coming to her about this? It was pretty clear to Chiyo that he had his sights on Takamaki? No sooner had Chiyo thought about it, she realized how stupid it was. Takamaki wasn’t putting out like he wanted. He was just using her hold him over while he waited for Takamaki to ‘relent’ and ‘give in.’

Chiyo’s train of thought started to take off, one car passed by after another. She remembered the cognitive Takamaki in Kamoshida’s palace. How she essentially wore nothing but a small bikini that left little to the imagination. In contrast, however, the real Takamaki rejected the real Kamoshida over the phone yesterday. Didn’t… Didn’t Mishima say Kamoshida asked to see Suzui yesterday? Wouldn’t that have been around the same time Takamaki was… when Takamaki was…?

Gasping, Chiyo slapped a hand over her mouth. Oh god… Oh god, he didn’t… He _didn’t?!_

Cold with dread and hot with rage at the same time. What was going through Suzui’s mind when she saw Kamoshida yesterday? When she went home last night? This morning? When she decided to go onto the roof? Was she afraid? Ashamed? Oh, god if she blamed herself for Kamoshida’s actions… Chiyo just wanted to scream out for the poor girl who couldn’t.

Trembling with rage, Chiyo lowered her hand from her mouth. “Did… Did Suzui have to ‘earn’ her spot on your team?” she asked, her voice sounded so hollow to her ears.

She half-expected Kamoshida to just outright deny everything. In a way, maybe he was. “She enjoyed it.”

Chiyo’s face began to heat up, her hands balled up at her sides and began to tremble. That was it. She was done playing nice!

Whatever Ryuji decide for himself, and she would not blame him if the consequences were too much for him, Chiyo was going along with Morgan’s plan. Whether Kamoshida lived or died… Chiyo didn’t care anymore. Why should she give him the courtesy’s he wasn’t giving Suzui? If Kamoshida could break someone, why couldn’t Chiyo? If he wasn’t going to feel guilty for what could be Suzui’s death, why should Chiyo feel guilty for his?!

“I’d sooner fuck a hot iron rod!” hissed Chiyo. “I’ll take that expulsion.”

She shoved past him and made her way over to the door. “And Sakamato and Mishima?” Kamoshida asked knowingly. “Will you let them take it?”

Chiyo froze, her hand hovering in front of the door lock. Fucking hell, fucking hell! How did he peg her like this? If it was just Chiyo on the line, this would be over and done with. No one else to worry but her. But Ryuji and Mishima? Could she allow them to suffer a similar fate as her if she could do something about it? 

No. Kamoshida would find another way to expel them no matter what she did -assuming Kamoshida would be true to his word. He would find a way to make this a no-win situation for them. Blindly playing into Kamoshida’s hands was nothing but a foolish move.

“I’ll give you time to think about it.” Kamoshida’s voice snapped Chiyo out of her revelry. “Just hope you make the right choice before I get tired of waiting.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

She unlocked the door and threw it open to find Ryuji and Mishima on the other side. Mishima gasped out her name, relieved to see her unharmed. Ryuji must have seen something in Chiyo’s face to cause him concern. “Hey, what happened in there?!”

Remaining silent, ignoring Mishima’s concerns, Chiyo took Ryuji by the arm and lead him somewhere they could speak privately. Chiyo realized too late that moving when her emotions were running so wild may be a mistake. Tears had started to spill down her cheeks. The barely contained rage, the screams she forced down, all of it came out through waterworks.

But it was not her tears that made a tiny part of Chiyo concerned, it was her breathing. It became erratic and labored, she wasn’t gasping for breath. But had she stayed in the PE faulty office any longer, she might have been. Regardless of how the conversation went, Chiyo was going to have to sit down and calm down before she ended up fainting.

She lead him to the courtyard by the vending machines. As soon as Chiyo released his arm her hands went up and under her frames in an attempt to dry her eyes. Not only was she struggling to stop, it was too late to hide her tears from Ryuji. He had seen them, could hear her erratic breathing, he had seen proof that something was bothering her.

To Ryuji’s credit, he approached her with caution. “Dude, what happened?” he asked gently. “C’mon, you can tell me…”

After she tried to dry her eyes again, Chiyo readjusted her glasses. “Ryuji…” she said between breaths, “if it’s… still too much for you… I understand. But I’m going… with Morgana’s plan… I don‘t care if that… thing lives or dies anymore.”

“I’m not following’...”

“Kamoshida didn’t just beat on Suzui…” New tears spilled out of Chiyo’s eyes as she prepared herself to say the harsh, ugly word. “He raped her.”

Ryuji let out every curse he could recall and then some, eventually, he delved straight into enraged gibberish. He repeated the process when Chiyo explained what happened when she was alone with Kamoshida. Including his ultimatum.

“I assume you’ve made up your minds then?”

On the table sat Morgana. Though she wondered how he passed the staff and students, Chiyo did not put it past Morgana to have followed them down here. “I have,” said Chiyo, “I’m doing it.”

“So have I,” added Ryuji. “We’re not dealing with just physical abuse! He just tried to blackmail Chiyo, and fucking raped that girl! She could die because of him! I don‘t give a rats ass what happens to that shitbag!”

“He’s punished either way.” Chiyo removed her glasses, making sure her eyes were truly dried.

Morgana purred, “Then it’s settled.”

“So, uh… is gettin’ rid of a Palace hard?” inquired Ryuji. “You’ve tried it before, right?

“When did I ever say that?”

“Well, you do talk a big game,” said Chiyo. “And apparently that’s all it is.”

Ryuji’s eyes rolled skyward, exasperated. “Oh, that’s just fuckin’ wonderful!”

“Is it true that you’re getting expelled?”

Chiyo whipped around to find Takamaki, red-eyed and miserable. “Takamaki?” Chiyo gasped. “I-I thought you’d be with Suzui…”

She regretted saying it as soon as it came out. “Her parents and family all rushed to the hospital. I didn’t want to impose, so one of her relatives drove me back,” Takamaki explained. “Enough about me, everyone’s talking about your expulsion.”

“That asshole’s at it again,” hissed Ryuji. “So you came all this way to tell us that?” 

“If you’re going to deal with Kamoshida,” Ann began finding the conviction to speak, “let me in on it too. I can’t just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!”

It wasn’t as though Chiyo didn’t think Takamaki had a right to this. She had every right. But could Takamaki even go to that other world? And that was ignoring how Takamaki would react to the cognitive Takamaki. “This has nothing to do with you,” Ryuji said without tact. “Don’t butt your head into this…”

“What Ryuji means is,” Chiyo said quickly before Takamaki could respond. “Is that you probably don’t want to get caught up in this method. It’s… rather unorthodox.”

Takamaki stared at her for several agonizingly slow seconds. She didn’t say anything but furrowed her brow. Scrunching up her face, she took off running. “Goddamnit,” murmured Chiyo.

“I know,” Ryuji said with a groan. “But we can’t take her somewhere like that. You saw that other her in that Palace thingy.”

“I just hope she doesn’t torment herself over this,” Morgana murmured. 

“We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida.”

They waited until school was let out properly for the day. Ryuji showed Chiyo a safe place to hide their bags while they worked, though Morgana insisted they each carry whatever food they had on them. In the alley across the road from school, they had a clear view of the entrance, and would likely have a clear view of the Palace’s entrance.

“The moment we cross over, we’ll treat each other like phantom thieves,” Morgana prepped them. “So I hope you’re ready.”

Ryuji glanced down at the cat with a raised brow. “Phantom thieves?”

“Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure - that is what we become!”

Chiyo’s head list to the left as she thought about it. In all technicality that was what they were doing. Being a lady thief… the dumb middle-schooler in her was drawn into the romantic notion of it all. “Not bad…”

“Yeah.” Ryuji rotated his arm. “That sounds kinda cool! So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida’s name and… castle? Then we end up in the bizarre world.” He pulled out his phone and stared at the app. “How the hell’s all this work, anyway? Someone had to make this thing, right?”

“You’d… think so…” Chiyo’s voice trailed off. Maybe she should try to explain to these boys what she experienced a couple of nights instead of dreams? The Velvet Room, Igor, Robert, and Henry. How much could she explain without coming across like a loony or raising more questions than answers? Fuck, Chiyo didn’t even understand it herself, never mind explaining anything about it.

“It’s kind of creepy when you think about it, but eh, it seems useful enough.”

“We can worry about it after dealing with Kamoshida,” said Chiyo.

Ann was within earshot of Sakamoto and Kusakabe and… a cat? Wasn’t that the same one the teachers were searching for? On the opposite end of the alley, she could see them clearly, though she could only hear bits and pieces of what they were saying. The only thing Ann could make out was Kusakabe saying that they could worry about something after Kamoshida. 

So, they really were going to do something. But what were they doing with their phone? “Whoa!” Ann braced her hand against the wall, a dizzy spell overwhelmed her.

The changes were so instantaneous, Chiyo hardly noticed the flames consuming her person any longer. What she did notice was the flames consuming Morgana’s person, changing him to his cartoonish, bipedal form. He leaped onto a flowerbed, likely so he could look Ryuji and Chiyo in the eye. “All right!” Ryuji wore a broad grin as he rotated his shoulder. “Time to bust on through!”

“What is this?!”

The trio whirled around to find a wide-eyed, ghost white, frightened Takamaki. Her blue eyes traveled from her classmates to the castle and back. Her face carried several dozen questions and she wasn’t sure if she wanted answers.

“T-Takamaki?!” Ryuji chocked out.

“Sakamoto?!” Takamaki echoed. Her eyes fell upon Chiyo and studied her for a moment. “Kusakabe-chan?!”

“How did you get here?!” Chiyo asked, her voice raising an octave.

“How should I know?!” Her hands gestured at the castle, then at Chiyo and Ryuji. “Isn’t this where the school is?! A-And what’s with the getups?!”

“I see,” Morgana said calmly. “Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it’ll pull anyone nearby.”

“For real?” Ryuji asked weakly.

Chiyo tilted her head back briefly. “Thinking about it, that is essentially what happened with us,” she said. “It started out on my phone, and must have pulled you in with me.”

Calming down, Takamaki stopped scanning the area. “Wait, so all this here is related to Kamoshida?!”

“You gotta leave!” Ryuji said, gesturing to Takamaki. 

“No way!”

“Takamaki-san, trust me on this, you _do not_ want to see what‘s in there,” Chiyo said with her hands up. All she could think about was the cognitive Takamaki inside the castle.

Morgan swayed uncomfortably. “The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene…”

Takamaki flinched as though she just crossed paths with a large, ugly spider. “No way!” she shrieked, pointing at Morgana. “It talked?! Oh my god, it’s a monster cat!”

Morgana’s eyes contracted into tiny blue dots. “M- _Monster_ …?”

“You better explain what’s going on! I won’t leave until you do!”

Ryuji leaned to the side, whispering to Chiyo and Morgana. “Looks like we gotta force her.” Chiyo nodded. “But… how’re we supposed to do that?”

“You take her arms, I’ll take her legs,” whispered Chiyo.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Try taking her back to where we came in,” Morgana instructed in hushed tones. “That’s how it worked last time, right?”

Chiyo threw a look at Ryuji, who simply shrugged in response. They were going to have quite a bit of explaining for Takamaki when this was over. And one gigantic apology for what they were about to do.

They ended up going with Chiyo’s plan, Ryuji grabbed a hold of Takami’s upper body. Her flailing limbs made it easier for Chiyo to take hold of her by the knees. Takamaki ended up ramming her head into Ryuji’s nose, not really helped by his mask. Upon bringing Takamaki to the alley, Chiyo lowered her knees, and Ryuji proceeded to shove Takamaki in. “We better be careful from now on when we use that app,” Ryuji said breathlessly.

“You should’ve checked the tools you used!” Morgana snipped on the way to the drawbridge. “Why do I - the one who was just watching - know more about it than you two?!”

Chiyo rolled her eyes. “I don’t recall you saying anything before we fired it up.”

Morgana’s tail started to bristle. “Th-That girl’s name is Takamaki Ann, right?” he asked, changing the subject. He started purring while his tail swayed happily. “Lady Ann~”

“Oh, brother,” sighed Chiyo. “Don’t we have a job to do?”

Morgana’s tail bristled again. “Quite-Quite right, Joker.”

“Joker?”

“What’s with the nickname?” inquired Ryuji.

“Don’t refer to it in such a lame way!” Morgana chided irritably. “It’s a code name. What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name?! I’m not down for that! And there’s no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace. It’s just a precaution.”

“So, why’s she Joker?”

“Because she’s our trump card when it becomes to fighting strength.”

“Joker…” Chiyo rubbed the back of her neck as she list her head. “I guess it could be worse.”

“It’s settled then!” Crossing his arms, Morgana eyed Ryuji. “Next up is you. You’ll be… Let’s see… ‘Thug.’”

“Are you pickin’ a fight with me?! I’ll choose myself!” Ryuji placed his hands on his hips in thought. “When it comes to me, it’s gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?”

Chiyo started to clap her hands while bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Then you gotta be ‘Skull!’”

She could see Ryuji’s eyes light up like a kid in a candy store in spite of the mask. “Ooh! That sounds awesome! I’m Skull!” He gestured his head towards Morgana. “What do we do about this one’s code name?”

“’Kyle?’” Chiyo suggested, her accent rolling on the ‘L.’

Morgana blanched. “Sounds so… _common_.”

“How ‘bout ‘Mona?’” Ryuji offered.

The cat-like creature held his head in one paw, in thought. “It’s better, I certainly never head it before.” Morgana paused for a good three seconds before he nodded in approval. “All right. From here on out, we’re Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those code names from now on!”

Skull was the first to climb up through the vent, Mona held onto Joker’s coattails as Skull helped her in. They climbed out safely on the other side and headed down the hall towards the foyer. However, they came to an abrupt halt at the doorway.

“Praise be to King Kamoshida! Death to the intruders!”

A contingent of black-armored soldier’s filled the foyer. At the head of the stairs, within perfect view of his own painting, Kamoshida stood. He glowered over, his hands braced against the banister at either side of him. His piercing eyes carried a sickly playful gleam. “Those intruders the other day were quite entertaining,” he declared. “However I can’t allow that trash to ransack my castle! Kill them on sight! I’ll reward whoever brings me their heads!”

The soldiers cheered, further stroking their king’s ego.

The newly formed phantom thieves hid on either side of the doorway, just out of sight of the soldiers, but still able to catch glimpses of the scene. Joker bit her lower lip, the sheer number of guards made her uneasy. She supposed if they were smart about it, they could find the Treasure with little conflict. “Hey, Mona,” Skull asked in a hushed tone. “Can’t we just beat the crap outta Kamoshida and call it a day?”

“Look at all those soldiers, idiot!” hissed Mona. “It’d be suicide. And I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of last time. Besides, don’t you want him to confess his sins? There’s no point in just beating him up. We need to steal his materialized desires… the Treasure.”

“Okay, that much I get,” said Joker, “but how do we find the Treasure?”

“I’d venture it’s somewhere in the depths of this castle. We’ll infiltrate further in while he’s out here.”

Turning back around, Joker heard Skull mutter something about backtracking under his breath. Back at the door across the hall, Joker pulled it open. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sight of one of the guards. Skull grabbed Joker by the arm and pulled her out of sight before the guard could pace back around. “Goddamnit, it can’t be that easy, can it?” muttered Skull. “Whaddya wanna do? Be the crap outta it?”

Joker reached into her coat, pulling out her ribbon. “We don’t have much of a choice.”

She stepped out from their hiding spot just as the guard turned itself around to pace back. Joker gave her wrist a quick flick, the ribbon fluttered forward before it struck the guard. Convoluting, it morphed into one of the blue-clad fairies.

Skull was the first to go into the attack. He bashed the fairy on the side of the head with his rod. Soon after, Mona and Joker followed up with a strike from their own individual weapons. The onslaught of attack after attack sent the fairy pirouetting several times before she dropped to the floor. Holding herself up with her arm, she shook her head and scrutinized the trio before her. “Seriously?!” the fairy shouted in a high-pitched voice. “You guys are the intruders King Kamoshida was talking about?”

“ _The fuck?!_ ” Skull gasped. “Shadows talk?! Since when?!”

“Now, apparently,” snarked Joker.

“Well, Shadows are beings born from people’s hearts,” said Mona, “so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. We just gotta take it out like every other Shadow so far.”

The enraged the fairy shrieked, letting out a sound that belonged to a chipmunk on helium. She pounded her small fists against the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. “It can’t get any worse than this! What’re you going to do with me?!”

“You can help us,” Joker suggested instantly. “Why fight for someone who doesn’t care if your life or die?”

“Help you?”

“Why exactly are you fighting for Kamoshida? I doubt he’d mourn if we killed you now.”

The fairy looked down at her hands for a moment. “You’re right…” she said under her breath. She started to sway in place. “Whoa… I feel… different…”

“Wait, talking to it actually works?!” gasped Mona.

“Yes! I remember now! I don’t belong just to King Kamoshida… I am an existence that drifts about the sea of humanity’s souls…” Her wings started to flutter, lifting her off the floor as she held her hands to her chest below her chin. “My real name is Pixie! Thank you for reminding me of that… From now on, I’ll live on inside your heart!”

A gentle blue glow surrounded her person, when it died down a domino mask, not unlike Joker’s took her place. The mask flew towards Joker, fusing with her preexisting mask. Her head tilt back slightly, her hand fluttered to her mask, a brief moment of exhilaration rushed through her.

“What… the… _hell_ was that?!” Skull demanded, recoiling in surprise. “Did Joker just… absorb the enemy… or… I don’t know?!”

“I don’t know!” Mona started flailing his arms wildly. “ _I don’t know!_ ”

“You don’t know?! Ain’t you the one boatin’ about your how much you know about all this?!”

“I had no idea! I wasn’t expecting that any more than you-”

“Intruders?! Halt!”

Another guard stood in the doorway, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Joker did not doubt for a second that it found them thanks to Skull and Mona’s yelling. “Okay, time to cut the crap,” Joker said, readying her ribbon. “We got more trouble on our hands.”

The guard convulsed, darkness spilling out and taking shape into a couple of demon horses. Skull instantly removed his mask, summoning Captain Kidd. Extending its cannon arm, Kidd released a Zio on one of the demon horse, dissolving it into darkness. As though nothing happened, the remaining Bicorn lowered it’s head, gearing for the next attack. It lunged at Mona, sending him flying back several meters.

“Mona!” gasped Joker.

Her hand reached up for her mask without thinking. She wasn’t sure why, however, Arsene could not do much damage to the demon horse. But something, something high-pitched and kind of whiny, was telling her to take off her mask. _‘Will you just take it off already?!’_

Joker removed her mask, but instead of Arsene, Pixie took its place. “No way!” shouted Mona. “Isn’t that the same Shadow from earlier?! Did… Did you take in the Shadow’s appearance and powers as a Persona?!”

Ignoring Mona’s shock and questions, Pixie extended her arms. A second Zio blasted the demon horse off its hooves. It shook his head before it looked back up at Joker. “Hey now, let’s not be rash!” it said. Its voice was deep enough to rearrange the trio’s internal organs.

Joker offered her hand to the beast. “Lend me your power,” she said, her mouth running faster than her thoughts. “Work with me, and we can be a proper partnership.”

“Those are some pretty big words,” said the horse. “Then I guess I’ll do the talking next. I’ll decide if I’m gonna help you after. Look here, girlie, I… uh… I’ve got this girl waitin’ fer me. You know what I’m getting’ at, right. You think you could let me-”

“Y’know, somehow, I don’t believe you,” Joker said plainly. 

“If I don’t make it back, she’s gonna cry. And then, she’ll kill herself, that’ll be all on you. Adults can sorta do what they want, but they also gotta take responsibility fer what they do. Don’t take this the wrong way, but man… Bein’ a carefree kind sure must be nice.”

“Oh, cut the crap!” Joker snapped spitefully. “Point me in the direction of an adult who actually practices what they preach and takes responsibility themselves when they’ve done wrong. _Then_ we’ll talk.”

The horse’s head shook as it chuckled. “Well, can’t deny there's a lotta truth to that, girlie. A lotta adults either throw each other under the bus, are full-blown hypocrites or both. Take it that ain’t the type of adult you want to be.”

“Not that kind.”

“I like the way you think,” said the horse. It paused for a moment before it slowly rose to its hooves. “I can’t believe it… I remember now…” He reared back on its hind legs. “I’m no Shadow from this place. I used to be livin’ in that there sea of human souls! From now on, call me Bicorn! No need fer honorifics, girlie.”

Its body began to glimmer softly, taking on the shape of Joker’s mask, and flying to the real thing. “What the…” Joker murmured.

“Holy crap… Holy crap, _holy crap!_ ” Mona started pacing on all fours. “Does this mean Joker can wield multiple Personas?!”

“Is that even possible?!” questioned Skull.

“I don’t know! I’ve never seen anyone do that before!”

“Wasn’t all this yelling what lured in the last Shadow?” Joker asked nonchalantly. “Besides, isn’t wielding multiple Persona’s a good thing?”

Mona stopped pacing, his tail stiffened. “Of course it is! Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona! But this…” He gestured to Joker’s person. “This is incredible! This ability will give us a huge advantage in battle!”

“Hell yeah!” Skull pumped his fist excitedly. “We’ll mow right through ‘em at this rate!”

Joker chewed on her lower lip. So they were just going to accept this new ability without question? Though Joker suddenly had her suspicions, and it all went back to that blue jailhouse and the master of the realm.

Mona began to rub his front paw’s together, cackling in such a way that would have made the Wicked Witch of the West proud. “I’m liking you more and more! I really do have someone special on my hands!”

“I know you fancy us as dashing phantom thieves,” Joker murmured, “but right now you look more like a supervillain…”

The cat-creature dropped the wicked grin, then shuttered. “Uh… y-yes, you’re right,” he said while he cleared this throat. “Anyway, we should move on before Skull draw’s in anymore Shadows.”

“Hey!” Skull snapped. “You were yellin’ just as much as I was!”

The nerve of those two! Manhandling her, and leaving her out of a plot she had every right to be part of! Sure from Sakamoto, it didn’t surprise her, but Kusakabe did not seem like the type.

Ann’s thoughts calmed when she approached the drawbridge of the castle. After being left behind by Sakamoto and Kusakabe, she found herself in the alley in front of the school. But when she checked her phone, she found an app she had no memory of downloading.

It was only on a gut feeling that Ann opened it to find a navigation layout she never saw before. Repeating the words she overheard Sakamoto say Ann nearly fell over from a sense of vertigo. The sensation gone, Ann noticed the color of the sky, a red- magenta color.

“That app…?” she said out loud to herself. She looked down at her phone, no service, and nothing else, like the camera, would work. “Seriously…”

“Princess?!”

Ann looked up to find a trio of armored men with blue-green skin. Her heart raced as the trio approached her with a running start. She yelled out when two of them grabbed her by the arm each.

_Again?!_

Their travels took them through a sort of dining hall for the guards. And came out finding a new safe room beyond it. Along the way, Joker’s little collection of new Persona grew with the inclusion of Pyro Jack and Mandrake. The way Mona reacted with each new Persona left Joker wondering if he would ever tire of it. After the third Persona, the excitement of the revelation was beginning to wear off.

After regrouping the safe room they tried the door just down the hall from it, only to find it locked. Mona suggested they try backtracking, with any luck the foyer was open and they could either find the key or find another way around.

“Aren’t there even more Shadows here than before?” Skull asked as they continued their trek back through the dining hall. “Just gettin’ this far’s been a real pain in the ass!”

“It’s probably because we provoked Kamoshida,” suggested Joker. “And because I rejected him…”

“Still…” Mona said thoughtfully, “he seems to be awfully on guard…”

Did Joker dare hope it meant the real Kamoshida was concerned about Suzui pulling through and revealing what he did? He sounded pretty confident that the odds were against her, but ‘what-ifs’ are pretty tricky. They could keep a person up at night, Joker to attest to that.

“Anyways,” Skull changed the subject, “how’re we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?”

“Don’t be so hasty,” Mona chided. “First, we need to secure an infiltration route.”

“A what?”

“We need a safe route to the Treasure,” translated Joker. “Even if we find it today, stealing it now may not be the wisest idea.”

“Exactly.” Mona nodded approvingly. His ears soon plastered against his skull. “But, honestly, I think we’ll need a little more manpower in order to accomplish this mission. At the very least, one more person would be nice…”

“Hold on a sec.” Skull pulled to a stop at the hall‘s doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Mona. “You say you don’t have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about this kinda stuff?”

Oh, that was a good observation from Skull. Joker never considered it. It was odd that Mona knew all this, yet had no other memory. Which begged the question of how Mona knew all this. He couldn’t know it all just because. 

“It _is_ kind of suspicious.” Joker crossed her arms.

“Hey, crazy as it sounds,” Mona began, “I don’t get it any more than either of you. While my knowledge of this place helped me survive, but it’s far from the memory I want to have.”

They could ear some muffling and metallic creaking. Joker held her hand up silencing Skull and Mona and pressed her ear against the door.

“Still, why was the princess in such an odd place? I could have sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder.”

"It doesn’t matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida!”

“Fuck…” Joker hissed. She glanced over her shoulder at the boys. “We should have checked Takamaki’s phone before leaving her.”

“Wait, you mean Lady Ann came back here?!” asked Mona.

“That’s what it sounds like.”

“Damn it, she must’ve overheard us before we took off,” muttered Skull. “Goddamnit! We left her out for her own safety, and she just came back in by herself…!”

“The Shadow’s must’ve mistaken her for that cognition…” Joker bit the bed of her thumb. God, she hoped Takamaki didn’t come face to face with her. 

They went down the hall they originally came from, only to find a second corridor, previously blocked off was open. Mona sprinted down the corridor, straight for the set of black double doors. On either side of the hall were suits of black armor, that kind of creeped out Joker the more she looked at them. Maybe she was too used to seeing armor move here. How sad was it if that was the case?

Ann struggled against her restraints as soon as the guards strapped her onto a St. Andrew’s cross. “What’s all this about?!” She shouted at the guards. “Seriously, I’m gonna call the cops!”

“So, this is the intruder…”

Ann looked up to find Kamoshida wearing little else than his fluffy cape and a pink Speedo. “Kamoshida?!”

The surprises continued to pile on as a girl wearing nothing but a bikini walked up to Kamoshida. She wore her hair exactly like Ann, even the color was spot on. Takamaki paled noticing more than just the similarities in the hair, but also the face. “What the…?” She shook her head in an attempt to get her priorities straight. “What is this place?! Why’s the school turned into something like this?!”

Scoffing, Kamoshida gestured to Ann. “I can’t believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her.”

“God, what’s with that outfit?” Ann questioned blanching slightly. “So gaudy…”

“I do as I please here,” Kamoshida explained half-heartedly. “After all, this is my castle… The world of my desires.”

“Wait, what?! Is this some red-light district?! This isn’t funny!” Ann pulled at her restraints. “Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!”

Kamoshia turned to the cognitive Ann with curled lips. “The girl’s decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?”

The cognitive Ann swayed lazily. “Talking back is, like… _totally_ unforgivable… Last intruder who talked back has, like, become a total problem.”

Ann’s jaw fell open. Her clone mimicked her voice perfectly, though the inflections made her sound like a complete airhead. “That she has,” Kamoshida said, turning back to Ann. “In that case… she should be executed.” Two black guards and one of his golden guards surrounded Ann. His grin grew, wicked and borderline orgasmic. “Now then, how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?”

She could have slouched if the cross wasn’t keeping her up. What sort of crazy roleplay did she stumble onto?

Joker blanched when she, Skull, and Mona opened the door. The room looked like it was modeled after a love hotel. Or at least, in Joker’s mind, that’s what it looked like. Red walls, red carpeting, even red drapes. A portrait of the Shadow Kamoshida hung at the back of the room behind Ann. 

The sight of Ann strapped to the St. Andrew’s cross would have been bothersome as it was… were it not for the half-naked female slaves around the room. Fondling their breast, swaying and breathing as though pleasuring themselves. Joker was willing to bet everything she had that the girls were supposed to be students. 

“God, this is fucked up,” uttered Skull. “Is this what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?!”

“Has to.” Joker held a hand over mouth. Suddenly she was concerned that Suzui wasn’t the only student Kamoshida had his way with. “They wouldn’t be like this otherwise.”

“Hey! Over there!” Ann shouted. “What’s the deal with this guy?!”

Kamoshida half-turned to find the trio of Phantom Thieves. “How many times are you gonna come back?” Kamoshida growled. He glowered back at Ann, lips pulled back into a smile. “I bet you’re just like those thieves. You came because you’re pissed at me, huh? But, ah….” his eyes rolled to the side in forced exasperation, “I forget that chick’s name, but it’s your fault she jumped, you know.”

Ann’s brow furrowed. “Huh…?”

“You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place.”

“She already told me what you did, bastard!”

The golden guard pointed its sword at her. Skull tried to break forward before either Joker or Mona could react. Seeing Skull so much as twitch, the other two guards crossed their blades over Ann’s neck. “Take one more step and I’ll kill her on the spot,” Kamoshida warned. “Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show.”

“Goddamnit!” cursed Skull.

“Maybe I’ll start with her clothes…”

“You’re such a perv!” the cognitive Ann giggled.

Ann’s head fell as the soldiers approached her. Perhaps this was her punishment for what happened to Shiho. The more she thought back to Kamoshida’s phone call last night, the more she was certain that was what cause the chain of events leading to Shiho’s jump. If she just gave Kamoshida what he wanted, he wouldn’t have targeted Shiho. 

“Have you finally realized?” Kamoshida asked, reading Ann’s expression as she allowed herself to hang. The St Andrews cross being the only thing keeping her up. “You should’ve looked like this from the start.”

“Shiho…” Ann sobbed, allowing herself to wallow in despair and self-pity. “I’m so sorry…”

“Takamaki-san!” Joker shouted, her sudden outburst caused Ann to look up at her. She pointed straight at the Shadow Kamoshida with a dark look in her eye. “The only one responsible for what happened was that thing for putting the two of you in that situation, to begin with! He may as well have pushed her off himself! Don‘t let this shitbag try to convince you otherwise!”

Ann stared at Joker, her face still wet with tears. Right… Kamoshida was the one who called Shiho over. Kamoshida was the one who raped her. He was the one who couldn’t take the hint. He was the one abusing his position, his history, his students. “You’re right…” she said. Glowering at Kamoshida, she balled up her hands. “Letting this piece of shit toy with me… What was I thinking?!

“It’s like I always say,” Kamoshida said, turning towards Ann, “slaves should just behave and-”

“Shut. _Up!_ ”

An abrupt silence fell upon everyone in the room. Besides the cognitive Ann who was singing a wordless song under her breath while fiddling with her hair. “I’ve had enough of this,” the real Ann growled, staring daggers at Kamoshida. “You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!”

_“My… It’s taken far too long.”_

Ann threw her head back, a sudden, overwhelming pain erupting from the very center of her head. She started to thrust her pelvis in an attempt to free herself and ease her pain.

_“Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don’t? Forgiving him was never the option… Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within… I am thou, thou art I… We can finally forge a contract…”_

The pain subsided leaving Ann lightheaded as she momentarily slumped over. Catching her breath she could feel the sweat and tears running down her face. “I hear you… Carmen. You’re right.” She lifted her head, a red feline mask appearing on her face. “No more holding back!”

_“There you go,”_ Carmen continued, giving Ann the ability to pull herself free of her restraints. _“Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.”_

Pulling herself free, Ann stepped away from the cross. Her hand reached up for the pointed ear on her mask. Crying out, Ann yanked it off with one good pull. A flash of blue erupted, the first thing visible was a tall being, human-like in appearance. Her pink skin was immediately noticeable amongst her red and black clothing. A black and pink leopard mask covered the upper half of her head, was two corkscrew pigtails trailed in the back of her head. Her top revealed the pink skin of her bosom. Her red and black skirt resembled that of a flamenco dancer's, lard red roses circled around her waist. She stood on the back of a creature with a heart-shaped head, dressed in a black suit, while she held on a vine connected to a similar creature.

Ann now wore a tight, red latex suit that revealed a bit of her cleavage. She had on a pair of red thigh-high boots and a pair of pink gloves. A tail was clipped to her backside, fitting with her feline mask. A red whip was coiled at her hip, held there by a metal clip.

Without warning, Ann sprinted towards the nearest guard and kicked its sword out of its hand. Catching it in mid-air, she brought it down on her cognitive self, which disappeared into darkness before she hit the ground. Cowering, Kamoshida backed up until he hit the wall. Obediently, his captain stood in front of him, weapons at the ready. “You know what?!” Ann threw the sword to the floor, turning to face Kamoshida. “I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag!”

“Bitch!”

“You stole everything from Shiho! You destroyed her! Now it’s your turn!” She pointed a gloved finger straight at Kamoshida. “I will rob you of everything!”

“How dare you!” shouted the Guard Captain. “Enough of your insolence!”

It, and it’s two lesser fellows, convulsed, transforming into a blue-grey devil. Who was sitting on a toilet... “No,” Ann growled, “I’ve had enough of you! Let’s go, Carmen!”

“How dare you deny King Kamoshida’s love, you selfish lass?!” the guard captain shouted. “Pay for this insolence with your life!”

Ann scoffed as Joker, Skull, and Mona gathered around her. “That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don’t make me laugh with that ‘love’ bullshit! C’mon, Carmen! Let’s give ‘em hell!”

Carmen took hold of her skirt and flounce it to the side. A burst of flame appeared in front of the guard captain. The fire grew, knocking the guard back. “Don’t hog all the fun for yourself,” Joker said, reaching for her own mask. “Pyro Jack!”

The purple-cloaked Jack o’ lantern appeared at Joker’s side. He mimicked Carmen’s Agi attack. Skull fired off his pistol several times before Mona slashed the demon with his sword. Ann removed her mask, summoning Carmen a second time. After a third Agi attack. “Okay,” Mona shouted as the captain fell. “All at once for an All-Out Attack!”

Obediently, the three high school students took out their individual weapons. No one envied the guard captain as he was overwhelmed in a flurry of ribbons, swords, pipes, and whips. The captain finally went down, disappearing into darkness. Ann backed up on unsteady feet. Heaving she bent over double, her hands braced against her knees. Criminy, she felt like she was going to pass out at any second.

“Oh, shit…!” Kamoshida cursed, backing up slightly. He finally decided to cut his losses and sprinted for the nearest door.

Ann reached out for his retreating form, willing the coward to hold still so she could further kick his ass. “Wait!” she called, falling to her knees.

“Easy!” Joker gasped, suddenly at Ann’s side.

“Why’d you come here, man?!” Skull asked, getting straight to the point.

“Hey!” Mona snapped, glaring at Skull. “Is that how you speak to a woman?!” He turned back to Ann, asking in a far gentler tone, “Are you all right, Lady Ann?!”

Joker rolled her eyes. “Oh, brother…”

Ann eyed Mona wearily. “Lady Ann?” she asked incredulously. She shook her head, realizing what she was saying. “Hold on! What is this thing? Is it alive… How can it even talk?! And-And where n the world are we?!”

“That’s…. quite a bit to explain,” Joker said, rubbing the back of her neck. “And I don’t think here’s the place to explain it all.”

“And why not?” Ann said, getting back up on her feet. “Last time you were that dodgy with me I-” She looked down at herself, studying her dominatrix suit. Her instant reaction was to try and cover her cleavage. “Why am I dressed like this?! When did I-”

“I mean… it looks good on you,” Skull muttered.

“Seriously?!” Ann snapped. “What the hell are you thinking?!”

“Well, I‘m stumped,” murmured Mona. “Joker had the right idea earlier, we should retreat for now!”

“Joker?” questioned Ann.

The girl in question waved her hand awkwardly. “Hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half of this chapter was hard to write. First is because of the subject material, especially after the Harvey Weinstein scandals, everything following, and the Me Too movement. Like, that scene sounds pretty close to a few stories I’ve heard. And I’ve never written anything like this. I lost count how many times I’ve rewritten the scene and reread most of the chapter to make sure the focus was still on Shiho.
> 
> Can I just ask out of a pure sense of curiosity; How many others out there first heard of the opera ‘Carmen’ because of that one episode of ‘Hey Arnold!’?


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven  
Preparations**

_“Just because you find that life's not fair, it_  
_Doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it._  
_If you always take it on the chin and wear it,_  
_Nothing will change”_  
\- ‘Naughty,’ Matilda the Musical

###### 

**Friday, April 15th**

They brought Ann to the station before she could allowe herself to calm down. Ann gave the verbal okay for Chiyo to explain what was going on. Ryuji took off to get the group a few drinks during the story. Ann brought the story to a halt several times with her questions, _‘Wait, that’s why you two were so late Monday?’ ‘So that’s why you were questioning the volleyball team?’ ‘So Kamoshida sees me as a walking sex toy?!’ ‘Kamoshida want’s you to what?!’ ‘But why does that monster cat look like a regular cat now?’_

“Which one you want?” Ryuji asked, offering a couple of drinks to Ann.

“Whichever’s not carbonated.”

“Uh… they’re both actually,” he replied sheepishly.

Ann swiped the nearest bottle from Ryuji, who offered the remaining drink to Chiyo. Breaking it open, Chiyo took a cautious whiff. She could smell bubbles, with a hint of fruit. The first sip caused her brow to rise in a delightful surprise to find the taste of pomelo. The belch that came out seconds later produced tears in the corners of her eyes. “Aw, jeez…” Chiyo breathed out patting her chest.

“What about me?” Morgana asked, his head poking out of Chiyo’s bag.

Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest and list his head. “But you’re a cat,” he said dumbly.

Chiyo ’s brow rose in silent agreement. Could Morgana even have the foods cats normally couldn’t? Ignoring that question, it would likely raise more than a few eyebrows if they just gave a cat carbonated drinks.

“Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?” Morgana asked, changing the subject.

“Morgana, right?” Ann eyed the cat in Chiyo’s bag. She brought her free hand to her head. “I really am talking to a cat… This feels so strange… Oh, sorry!” Her hand flew to her mouth. “You’re not a cat, right?”

“It’s only natural that you’re confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much.”

“Unless your names are Ryuji and Chiyo, otherwise your expected to understand it all right off the bat,” quipped Chiyo.

Ann’s blue eyes traveled to Ryuji, silently asking his opinion on the matter, he just shrugged in response. “Oh,” she said allowing her face to drop, “Morgana’s one of _those_ types.”

“Wait, what types?!” Morgana asked frantically. “What types?! I-I’m not like those types!”

“Still,” Ann brought her hand back to her head, “I can’t believe what happened… And that power… my Persona… You two have them too, right?”

“It’s the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann,” Morgana explained, changing the subject. “With it, you’ll be able to fight in that other world.”

“So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?”

“The volleyball team’s keepin’ quiet about this, while the teachers and parents turn a blind eye.” Ryuji slid his hands in his pants pockets. “If guys like us try and complain, they’re just gonna shoot us down. Goin’ all in on this plan is the only choice we got.”

Ann gripped her drink, letting out a humorless chuckle. “I thought about telling Shiho’s parents what happened yesterday,” she confessed. “I know they’d take my word on it, but if it gets out, I’m sure Kamoshida will turn it around on me. Probably say I’m just looking for someone to blame at best. The whispers about me at school will not help in the matter. It’s too much bullshit to put the Suzui’s through right now.

“So, let me help too. I want to make him pay for what he did to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after he…” Ann grit her teeth for a moment. “I’ll never forgive him.”

“Wait,” Ryuji held a hand up, “did you just say, ‘let me help?’ As in you want us to take you along?”

“She has just as much of a right to as either of us,” said Chiyo.

“I agree,” said Morgana. “We are lacking in manpower, after all. Don’t worry, I’ll protect her.”

“Yeah… I really don’t think she needs it.”

“Fine, I guess you guys have a point,” sighed Ryuji.

“Then it’s decided,” announced Ann. “Well, I hope we get along!” She turned to Chiyo with a deadly serious look in her eye. “I’m going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho’s sake… but for everything he’s done. I won’t let any more people suffer because of him. I’ll do whatever it takes!”

“Good to have you on board,” said Chiyo. “Oh! We should probably exchange numbers.”

It took about five minutes for Ann to add in her schoolmate's numbers and chat ID’s. Less time for them to do the same with hers. “Let’s just make sure Morgana’s kept updated,” said Ann. She placed her phone in her bag and waved goodbye to the others before she walked off.

“What a kind girl,” Morgana purred. “Such admirable consideration for others. And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal…”

Ryuji gestured to Chiyo’s bag. “Did he just imply she doesn’t understand what she’s getting herself into?”

“I… _think_ so…” Chiyo said dully.

“She cares about her friends, and she’s beautiful to boot,” Morgana continued, blissfully ignoring Ryuji and Chiyo’s words. “What a girl! She’s captured my heart…”

Chiyo could feel something vibrating throughout her bag. Morgana insisted he wasn’t a cat, yet here he was, purring. “You know,” said Ryuji, “it’d be better if this group could get together quick from now on… “

“True,” Morgana’s purring ceased. “Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things.”

“A hideout, huh?” pondered Ryuji. “I like the sound of that.”

“And how much of this is because it sounds cool?” Chiyo pondered aloud.

“I mean, it’s a better idea to discuss these things in private,” said Morgana.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll give you that.

“The school rooftop should fit that criteria. And Lady Ann was certainly right about one thing, I can’t keep in touch with you from inside a Palace. So I’ll stay in this world. That being said, I’ll need someone to take care of me. I’m personally nominating Chiyo. You should feel honored.”

Her brow rose abstemiously. “Wait, what?! Why not Ryuji?!”

Ryuji shook his head. “There’s no way I can at my place.”

“But I…” she looked down, “live over a restaurant…”

Chiyo stood outside Leblanc with her arms crossed. She did not want to go through with the long discussion and try to convince Sojiro to let Morgana stay. “What’re you waiting for?” Morgana asked, poking his head out of Chiyo’s bag.

Heaving a sigh, Chiyo shoved Morgana back down and pulled the door open. There was a single customer, seated at one of the booths. “The store’s still open,” Sojiro said without looking up at her. “Go upstairs or be quick about going and coming.”

Chiyo didn’t say anything, instead opting to keep her head down, trying to be inconspicuous about Morgana in her bag. However, walking past the customer in the booth, Chiyo couldn’t help but look at her. Her black hair had a blue sheen to it and cut in a messy bob. She had a black spiked choker around her neck and a black jacket over a blue dress. A different sort of beauty. 

But Chiyo ended up staring too long. The woman looked up at her. “Yes?”

“Lay off the customers,” Sojiro ordered. “Sorry if she was rude, Doctor?”

“Doctor?” Chiyo echoed.

“I don’t mind,” said the woman. The woman placed a bit of money on the table before she got up. She revealed herself to be a rather slender woman with long legs. She had on a pair of heels that looked like they could easily stab any potential attacker. “Thanks for the coffee. I’ll see you later.”

“Come back again,” Sojiro called as the woman walked out the door. “And that’s it for the day.”

“Who was that?” asked Chiyo.

“She’s the head doctor over at the clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t been there myself. They should really just leave her alone. It’s not like she’s getting in the way of their lives…”

“They?”

“Hey,” Morgana spoke from the inside of Chiyo’s bag, “are we there yet?”

Chiyo paled instantaneously; Sojiro’s eyes wandered to the front door. Dare she hope he thought he heard an alley cat? “Anyway…” Sojiro said at length, “I’ve gotta get home and start making dinner.”

“Sure.” Chiyo nodded. “I should be fine with everything until tomorrow.”

She didn’t wait for Sojiro to respond with anything else. She hurried up to her room and dropped her bag on her bed. Morgana let out a small ‘oomph’ before he poked his head out. He climbed out of the bag and sat himself down on the bed; he scrutinized the room for a few moments in silence. 

“What the heck is this place?!” he demanded. “Some kind of abandoned house?!”

“It’s an attic!” Chiyo hissed. “Keep your voice down before…”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Sojiro’s footfalls travel up the stairs. Chiyo sighed, decided it was probably for the best he find out like this. Somehow she doubted it would matter if she was delicate about the situation. Morgana crouched down, his eyes on the approaching man. Perhaps he was afraid and that’s why he was crouching. Perhaps he was trying to make himself cute and endearing. “I knew I heard meowing… What did you bring it here for?!” demanded Sojiro.

Chiyo held her hands up in defense and went with what was technically true, “He followed me!”

Sighing, Sojiro removed his glasses and rubbed his temples with his free hand. “Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go… Though I guess you might stay on good behavior if you’ve got a pet to take care of… Fine, it can stay.”

Chiyo’s head list to the right in shock. That was… _easier_ than she was ever expecting. “But keep it quiet when we’re opening for business,” Sojiro continued. “And don’t let it roam downstairs, or I’ll toss it out. And make sure the cat hair is under control up here.” Turning, Sojiro headed back downstairs. “Like your clothes. It’s just common decency.”

“Yeah…” replied Chiyo. Her gaze traveled to the side, her brow arched, still trying to understand how easy this became. “Yeah…”

“Was that the ruler of this place?” Morgana asked when he was certain Sojiro was out of earshot.

“If you want to put it that way…” 

“He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump.” Chiyo couldn’t help the snort that escaped. Yeah, _understanding._ “Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a regular house cat.”

“You look like a regular house cat.”

To the surprise of the both of them, Sojiro came back upstairs with a saucer of white rice in hand. “Seriously, it had to keep calling out in that cute little voice…” he muttered.

_‘Holy crap, Sojiro’s a cat person!’_ Chiyo realized.

“Make sure you wash that dish,” instructed Sojiro. “So… have you decided on a name yet?”

“Morgana.” Chiyo’s head tilted to the right once again as she heard Sojiro muttering something about him naming it. “ _Wow._ I would never have pegged you as a cat person.”

“Hush, you. Don’t forget the dish.”

“I won’t.”

Sojiro went back downstairs again. Morgana’s tail started to happily wag. “Looks like the chief likes me better than you.”

“Because to him, you don’t talk back,” snarked Chiyo.

“And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida’s cells.”

Chiyo waited until she was certain Sojiro locked up for the night before she heated up a helping of cup ramen. Morgana was still working on his rice when she returned back upstairs. Chiyo placed her cup ramen on her bedside box and removed her blazer. “Remember how you guys asked me before what I am?” Morgana asked as Chiyo sat down at the edge of the bed.

“I guess. It might’ve gotten lost amongst the plethora of crap since then, but I think so.”

“To be honest…” Morgana lowered his head, “I don’t remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form.”

“And you’re… certain that form is human?”

“It has to be!” he asserted. “I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There’s no other possible explanation.”

Chiyo didn’t bother arguing that he wasn’t really talking to everyone, just a select few. Nor did she outwardly doubt that it was the only possible explanation. “There’s no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self.” Morgana looked down at the saucer. “I’m sure that once they’re purged, I’ll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That’s why I was in the castle in the first place. Come to think of it… I didn’t get hungry over in that world…”

Morgana lowered his head to take another mouthful of rice. After a few minutes of silence, Chiyo took it as a sign it was okay for her to eat. Less than thirty minutes later the saucer was licked clean of rice, with an empty cup placed on top. There was a bit of idle chatter between the two. Morgana asked why Sojiro was making her eat nothing but cup ramen, but Chiyo quickly shot back that it was simply her giving it a try.

“Let me make myself clear,” Morgana said as Chiyo took the cup and saucer into her hands. “Your taking care of me won’t be for nothing. It’ll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools.”

“What kind of tools are we talking about?”

“I can’t tell you more unless we settle on a deal. In exchange for keeping me here, I’ll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?”

“Sure.”

“I like that answer. Then it’s a deal. I’ll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time. The power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it’ll be as a trump card.” He scratched his ear with his back leg. “All right, I’m gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one’s heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it’ll affect that power as well! I expect great things from you. Don’t let me down, okay?”

Chiyo took care of Morgana’s plate and headed back upstairs. Her hands reached for the hem of her shirt before she paused. She glanced down Morgana, her brow furrowed. “You uh…” she said tentatively, “you present as male?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Morgana said irritably. Thinking about it for a moment, his ears plastered against his skull. “At least I think so… It feels right…”

“You know what?” Chiyo walked over to the opposite side of the room. “It doesn’t matter. I’d feel uncomfortable changing in front of you regardless.”

“So, what’re you going to do?”

“Something!”

It took a few moments of searching through the junk Sojiro stored upstairs before she found a clothes line and an old shower curtain. Chiyo set up a make-shift changing room in the corner by the stairs. If Sojiro asked about it, she would just say it was incase he walked in on her while she was changing. The curtain worked well enough when Chiyo changed into her pajamas. 

During her sleep that night, Chiyo could feel something weighing her down. Come morning, Chiyo simply assumed it was Kamoshida’s threats getting to her. 

What she didn’t know was that Morgana was sleeping on her stomach throughout the night.

**Saturday, April 16th**

“What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”

“I haven’t been feeling well lately. My head’s all foggy, and I have no energy. I’ve tried every drug at the pharmacy, but nothing works. Do I have some new virus? Is this the onset of a psychotic breakdown?! Wh-What should I do?! Am I going to die?!”

“Calm down! Let’s just go to the clinic. Come on. I’m sure the doctor can prescribe something that’ll fix you right up!”

“Doctors have the best medicine, huh,” Morgana piped from Chiyo’s bag. “Wasn’t that customer at Leblanc last night a doctor?”

“That’s what Sojiro said,” said Chiyo. “Why? Do you have a cold?”

“No! I just thought it might be nice to have some strong medicine to use in the Palace.”

The day had gone by surprisingly calm, all things considered. Though whispers did flurry around here and there. Some claimed Suzui had died in the hospital. Others said the fall damaged her spine so terribly she was paralyzed from the neck down. And then there were the whispers about the three student expulsion.

There were about thirty minutes left before class let out from the day when Chiyo’s phone started to vibrate. Reaching for her, she noticed Ann do the same. She knew Ryuji had sent them a message before she even looked at the screen.

| Hey, we’re meeting up at the hideout after school, right?  
---|---  
| Don’t text now! We’re in class!  
| But aren’t we rebels now?  
| That’s beside the point!  
| You’re actually listening to all this crap?  
| Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today…  
| I know, right?  
| Anyways, hideout after school?  
| Where exactly is this ‘hideout?’  
| The school roof.  
| Wait, we can still go up there?  
| Ryuji and I’ve done it with no problem.  
| Welp, I’ll be waiting. Just come on up once school’s over.  
| I’ll be there.  
| Me too, I guess.  
| I’ll fine you if you’re late!  
  
“Kusakabe!” Ushimaru shouted causing Chiyo and Ann to look up. “Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone’s talking to you?!”

Ushimaru drew his arm back before anyone could realize it. The chalk went flying moments later. Chiyo’s natural reflexes, added with her gymnast agility, leaned to the left, out of the chalk’s path. “Kids these days have no respect for their elders,” Ushimaru muttered, getting out a fresh piece of chalk.

_‘Start earning instead of demanding it, then we’ll talk,’_ thought Chiyo.

After spending the better part of the day cramped in either Chiyo’s bag, or her desk, Morgana took the opportunity to stretch out on the roof. “Looks like we're all here,” said Ryuji from his folding chair. “Mkay, let’s get goin’!”

“Hold on!” Morgana said. “It’s still too early for us to head to the Palace.”

“Why? Don’t we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?”

“Don’t underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare.”

“Ain’t that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?”

“I’d rather we not solely rely on it,” said Chiyo. “We’re always fatigued after using them.”

“And even if we didn’t use our Persona too often, there's still a very real chance those Shadow things could maim or kill us,” added Ann.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Morgana nodded. “All it takes is one wrong move before you end up dead. That’s why we need to properly prepare before we head back in.”

“That much I understand,” said Ann. “But how exactly should we prepare?”

“I’m glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we’ll need to find better equipment for all of you. I’d prefer all of us to have a gun. Ryuji’s doing okay, I guess, but if we end up separated, it’s good to have.”

“If that’s what you want, I know a kick-ass place,” said Ryuji.

“In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace, as Chiyo said.”

Ann asked, “And where can we get medicine?”

“Morgana and I heard about a clinic nearby yesterday,” Chiyo explained. 

Morgan started scratching the back of his ear with his back leg. “Which mean’s Chiyo and I have some business in Yongen, so let’s head off for today!”

“Takemi Medical Clinic,” Chiyo read aloud, staring at the sign. “It’s the only clinic we could find in the area. Sojiro said that she’s into some freaky shit.”

“If she’s the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she’ll help us out,” Morgana explained. “She’s sure to understand the importance of secrecy.”

“And how much are we keeping secret?” asked Chiyo. “We can’t exactly be upfront about why we need ex-amount of medicine at a time.”

Morgana’s ears plastered against his skull. “I guess you’re right… Oh!” His ears perked back up. “You could just say you’re having trouble focusing in class. From what I say today, it’s not that far from the truth.”

Chiyo released a sigh, her brow dropped, less than impressed. She headed upstairs and inside to find a small waiting room. The woman from last night sat behind the reception desk, she glanced up at Chiyo when she heard the door open. “Is this your first visit?”

“Yep.”

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”

“At Leblanc, last night.”

“Hmm…” she pursed her lips in thought. “Well, whatever… So, what’re you here for today?”

Chiyo rubbed the back of her neck and tried looking away bashfully. “I’ve… been feeling a bit lethargic lately…”

The woman pointed at the door beside the reception counter with her pen. “Please head to the exam room.”

_‘Just like that?’_ Chiyo couldn’t help but think.

Takemi asked Chiyo several questions in the exam room, personal history, what she’s been feeling within the last week or so. Chiyo gave her a watered down version of everything. Chiyo moved to Tokyo earlier in the week, transferred to a new school. When she mentioned Shujin’s name Takemi asked if it was the same Shujin where that girl threw herself off of the day before. 

“In a case like yours,” Takemi said at length, “it’s usually just due to stress. I’m going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay? Actually,” she brought the tip of her pen to her lips in thought, “I still need to restock on those…” Shaking her head, clearing her thoughts, Takemi grabbed her clipboard and jotted down her notes. “So let’s go with sleeping pills. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?”

Sleeping pills? Sleeping was hardly an issue after going to the other world. And, call it a hunch, but Chiyo was certain that wasn’t what Morgana had in mind. “I’d rather take the painkillers.” 

“Huh?” Takemi looked slightly bemused by Chiyo’s question. “You’re the patient here, you know. Do you think you should be telling me how to do my job?”

“I’m not. I just don’t think this is an issue that can be solved by sleeping meds.”

“So, it’s just like I thought,” Takemi said in a sing-song tone. She pointed her pen at Chiyo. “You’re not sick at all, are you? I’m not as dumb as I look, you know.”

“I never insinuated you were dumb,” Chiyo said.

“And it’s a good thing you didn’t. I'm guessing you’re here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?”

Did it really count as a rumor if Chiyo only heard about Takemi from one source? Still, she fiddled with a lock of hair. “Does that mean they’re true?” she asked.

“Who’s to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now.”

Chiyo bit on her lower lip. Maybe this was a bad idea. It sounded like Takemi was having a difficult time with business as it was. “I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh?” Takemi said before Chiyo had a chance to reply.

“Huh?”

“But only medication that will help you recover your health. I guess it’s fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don’t look like you’ll be any trouble.”

Chiyo fought down the bout of laughter that wanted to erupt. She didn’t look like she’d be any trouble? If that wasn’t the first time Chiyo heard that in weeks.

“This is my private practice,” Takemi explained. “All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You’ve likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that’s okay with you, stop by anytime.”

“Thank you,” Chiyo bowed her head briefly, “that’ll really help.”

“Well, it’s nice that you’re so quick on the uptake. Saves me the hassle.” She twirled to the side on her chair and pulled out a bottle of pills from a drawer on her desk. “You’re a pretty weird kid, you know?”

“I’ve been called that lately, so, kind of,” said Chiyo.

Takemi placed the pill bottle on the desk in front of Chiyo. “I can’t say I’m not curious about what you’re doing with that,” she said, tapping her finger against the bottle. “But, as long as you don’t cause me any trouble, it’s not my problem. This is all I’ve got right now. It’s fast acting, so if you’re feeling a bit fatigued just take one. But I don’t recommend downing them like candies.”

Chiyo took the bottle into her hand as Takemi explained this. She turned it over, reading the name on the label. “‘Recov-R?’”

“The names a work-in-progress. Take care.”

Chiyo pocketed the bottle and handed Takemi ¥800. There was a man in a black suit in the waiting room when Chiyo opened the door. She stepped out of the way, allowing the man to pass by. He closed the door behind him, and Chiyo would have left right then an there, were it not for the tone in Takemi’s tone when she spoke, “What’s the reason for your visit? Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete’s foot? Whatever it is, you’ll need to take a number-”

“Enough of this! You’re the only one who could have developed that type of medicine.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me. Rumor has it, it’s a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power.”

“Really? That’s news to me.”

“Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue.”

“You’re really persistent, you know that? I’m just a quack.”

“The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You’re a disgrace to the medical community.”

A moment of silence. Chiyo’s hand hovered over the doorknob.

“What’s with the look?” the man asked. “That was your mistake, was it not? I won’t be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that ‘medicine’ immediately and resign. The name Takemi Tae will never-”

Chiyo shuffled her feet, an action that did not go unnoticed by the man in the suit. “Is somebody there?!”

“Geez, that was a close one,” Morgana muttered. “Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous…”

“Speaking of dangerous, you sure you want to use this stuff?” Chiyo held her phone between her shoulder and ear. She wasn’t actually talking to anyone on the other line, but she figured it looked better than a girl who was talking to her bag, or the cat inside. “I’m just a little concerned about possible side-effects.

“I’m kind of, too. But I also don’t think she’d give you those pills if there was a huge risk of side effects. Or, at least, she would have told you.”

“Yeah, I guess you have a point.” Chiyo took two trays of sushi in her hands, surveying them. “If something were to happen because she didn’t tell us, I don’t doubt she’d have a court case on her hands.”

“It sounded she might be hiding some extra strong medicine…”

“I highly doubt she’d just give it to us, though.”

“She might if we get her to cooperate with us.”

“Maybe… But if it looks like it’s going to take too long, I’d rather we call it quits on that endeavor.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that.”

Chiyo placed one of the sushi trays down and picked up a can of fish. She was checking out when the phone buzzed; she nearly dropped it out of fright.

| You know there’s a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns.  
---|---  
| I’d be glad to take you there if you want.  
  
“Is he _asking_ me to go with him?” Chiyo wondered aloud.

|  Just Shibuya station?  
---|---  
| Hey. I can’t make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?  
| You can’t come?  
| You wanted to come?  
| What’s that supposed to mean?!  
| I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.  
| Ah, gotcha.  
| Don’t worry, we got this.  
| Hope she’s doing okay.  
| I’m sure she appreciates the thought.  
| I’ll see ya in Shibuya, Chiyo! I’ll be in front of the station!  
  
**Sunday, April 17th**

Chiyo dressed herself that morning in white long-sleeved shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a black waterfall cardigan, and a pair of mate browns. She relocated Morgana into an oversized, wine-red purse her mom bought for her last birthday. Chiyo hadn’t really cared for it when she received it. It was too big for what Chiyo intended on carrying. It was the kind of handbag one of those overly prepared mom’s who always had extra snacks on their person owned. But it was the only other bag she had that was big enough to carry Morgana.

As promised, Ryuji met with them outside of Shibuya station. He had on a thick purple jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. He had on a set of black jeans and yellow sneakers. Ryuji was easy to find, waving Chiyo over when he spotted her. “Looks like you made it,” he greeted. “M'kay, let’s get goin’. The shop’s over here!”

Ryuji lead Chiyo across the station square, often looking over his shoulder at her. Chiyo would have told him that he didn’t need to worry about her getting lost, but Chiyo wasn’t sure if she could hold up that promise. “Everyone, wake up!” shouted an older man. He wasn't old enough to be what one thought of when they heard ‘elderly.’ But he clearly wasn’t a spring chicken any longer. “This country is twisted!”

“This politician’s actually saying some decent things,” Morgana purred from Chiyo’s bag. “But not many people are stopping to listen.”

“Eh, people give speeches all the time. Plus politics are pretty boring, anyway,” Ryuji said nonchalantly.

“Isn’t there supposed to be an election for Prime Minister later in the year?” asked Chiyo.

“Dunno.” Ryuji clapped Chiyo on the back. “C’mon, we’re almost there. Just stay close.”

Ryuji lead the way to Shibuya Central Street. Chiyo had to force herself to keep her eyes on Ryuji, though the need to stare and gawk was tempting. Ryuji lead her to the back alley’s, only stopping at a shop with a neon-green sign reading ‘Untouchable’ over the door. 

“Here we are. Pretty legit, huh?” Ryuji said upon arrival. “By the way, now that we’re here… you know anything about military stuff?”

Chiyo arched her brow nervously. “No…?” 

“Ah, I guess if worst comes to worse we can just ask the shopkeep what they recommend.”

The inside of the shop was fairly narrowed, with display cases and shelves, and mannequins wearing the available gear. A middle-aged man in a heavy grey coat sat behind the checkout counter. He rested his feet on the counter while he flipped through a magazine. He wore a black shirt under his coat and a pair of blue jeans; he kept a set of yellow ear defenders around his grey cap.

“All the stuff in here looks so real,” Ryuji said, eyeing everything in wonder. “I dunno what I like best.”

“You don’t want the pistol?” Chiyo asked.

“It doesn’t really scream ‘me.’ Maybe we should try askin’ that guy behind the counter.” Ryuji gestured to the man. 

It was still difficult to believe a model gun had any sort of real effect in the Metaverse. But on the other hand, it was a comfort to know it couldn’t do the same damage as a real gun in the real world. Assuming they were careful anyway.

Chiyo approached the man behind the counter. Upon closer inspection, she could see a gecko tattoo on the side of his neck and a couple of piercings in his ear. She cleared her throat and tapped her knuckle against the surface. “You know what you want yet?” the man asked barely looking away from his magazine.

“Not quite,” Chiyo said. “We’re also buying for a friend who couldn’t make it with us. We were hoping for a recommendation or two.”

“Recommendation, huh?” He shrugged. “I dunno, just buy whatever looks interesting’ to you.”

“Some customer service,” murmured Ryuji.

“Fine,” the man tossed his hand, “whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?”

“Uh… automatic? Dude, why‘re you talkin‘ about cars now?!”

“An automatic continues to fire rounds so long as your finger’s on the trigger,” Chiyo explained under her breath.

“At least you brought someone who knows a thing or two,” said the man. “This here’s an enthusiast shop. My regulars’ll be pissed if I let a casual like you hang around.”

“I’m not a freakin’ casual!” Ryuji held his arms out at his side. “I bought shit from here like… last week!”

“Don’t remember.”

“And you?” the man asked, eyeing Chiyo. “You have a better idea what you’re lookin’ for?”

“Something realistic looking,” said Chiyo. “But easy to carry around despite.”

Ryuji leaned to the side and whispered to Chiyo, “Dude I want a shotgun.”

“Something that at least looks like a shotgun, I guess. Something like a Mossberg 500 and… maybe Glock, not sure about the last one...”

“Was that Japanese?” Ryuji asked incredulously.

The man’s shoulders shook with a brief chuckle. “You a collector?”

“I’ve done a little research here and there,” said Chiyo. “Dabbled in a little airsoft as something to do for summer break a few years back.”

“You’re way more interestin’ than blondie over there.”

“Sh-Shut it!” Ryuji muttered with a flushed face.

“You shoulda said before you were a budding enthusiast,” said the manager. “I’m always up for helpin’ fresh faces.”

He placed his feet on the floor and finally closed his magazine. “Some precautions first though-”

“Don’t point them a people,” Chiyo said, mimicking her uncle when he explained the rules. “Treat it like it were a real gun. Make sure all players are ready and when someone calls out, hold fire until they’re off the field.”

“And don’t let the fuzz catch wind of you having ‘em,” the man added. “I don’t need them comin’ around here.”

“We’ll be careful.” Chiyo turned towards her friend and asked in a pleasant tone, “Right, Ryuji?”

“Uh… Right,” Ryuji stuttered.

“You damn well better be,” said the manager. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked one of the display cases. He took out a black pistol and placed it on the counter. “Now, if you look close, you’ll be able to tell there’re models. Real guns feel… different.”

Curious, Chiyo took the Glock into her hands. “Part of it’s in the weight,” said Chiyo. “Plastic pelts don’t weight as much as steel bullets.”

“A’ight,” the man stood up, “though you understand that, I might show you the good stuff someday. One minute, I’ll get what I’ve got.”

Ryuji leaned to the side, watching as the manager disappeared in the back room. “Dude,” he said under his breath, “since when’d you know about guns? You said you didn‘t know anything military.”

“Military, yeah. My uncle’s a collector,” explained Chiyo. “He’d take my cousin and me to a few airsoft games during summer break when we were younger. I just picked up on a few things after overhearing him talk about his collection over the years.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. Don’t think I woulda gotten this far if it was just me.” He reached into his pocket. “And here’s the cash for mine. Hope you picked out something good!”

The manager came back moments later with the Mossberg 500 replica. Ryuji’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when he laid eyes on it. He brought back a few others to chose from, to Chiyo’s surprise, there was a submachine gun, assault rifles, and revolvers.  
“So, what’d we get Ann?” Chiyo asked Ryuji in a hushed tone.

“How should I know? You know more about this stuff than I do. Apparently.”

“Yeah, second hand.”

“If I can have a word in,” Morgana said as quietly as he could, “I think someone of Lady Ann’s regality would thrive with a revolver.”

Chiyo ran a hand through her hair. Truth be told Chiyo thought Ann would have liked something powerful enough to shoot the Shadow Kamoshida’s nuts off. But she could just recognize certain types, she had no idea how the power differed.

They ultimately decided on a submachine model. Not for any particular reason, certainly not because the manager offered any insightful advice. It was more because the pair were afraid of loitering for too long just to make a discussion. 

Between the three the price came up to ¥ 5800. Between Chiyo’s own savings, and the yen Ryuji pitched in they were able to cover the charges. Ryuji seemed pretty confident he could bring his shotgun home without a problem. It was a little cramped in her bag between Morgana and two model guns.

Almost as soon as Chiyo and Ryuji parted ways Chiyo’s phone started to buzz.

| So, I went to see Shiho at the hospital…  
---|---  
| How is she?  
| Her condition is stable.  
| They don’t know when she’ll regain consciousness though.  
| I’m sure she’ll be okay.  
| Yeah. She’ll get better, I know it.  
| I just need to believe in her.  
| I thought about talking to her parents again. Tell them what she told me…  
| Did you tell them?  
| I keep thinking about it. But I also keep thinking about the chaos that’s bound to ensue.  
| But I also think they should hear what happened through either me or Shiho. Maybe Shiho more than me…  
| But on the other hand, I don’t what them to go through all the ‘he said, she said’ bullshit when they’re going through enough right now.  
| In the end… I’ll never forgive Kamoshida. He’s going to pay for what he did, no matter what.  
  
“We’re just about ready to go to the Palace,” Morgana said, looking over Chiyo’s shoulder the entire time. “We just need to assemble some infiltration tools. We’ll just need to get the proper materials on the way home.”

“And what materials are those?” Chiyo asked cheekily.

“A box of hairpins. And a padlock.”

Upon buying the items Morgana requested they headed back to Leblanc. Chiyo made a mental note to recount what she had left of her funds. Then take into consideration what she needed to do when her it ran dry.

“Boss, did you hear?” Chiyo heard upon entering the café. “Apparently that last subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing.

“You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people’re going on about?” Sojiro asked from the other side of the bar.”

“Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn’t even speak when they tried asking him questions.”

“There’s no way a preposterous story like that could be true,” Sojiro said indifferently. “And sorry, but we’re closing soon.”

“How rude,” the customer huffed. “This must be why you don’t get many customers.”

“Thanks for stopping in,” Sojiro said, unaffected by the customer's comment. “Please come again.”

The customer let out a ‘humph.’ “I only say this out of politeness, but… thanks for the coffee.”

“What a pain,” Sojiro muttered as soon as the customer left. 

“You treat your patrons like that?” asked Chiyo.

“You’re not one to talk with that attitude,” Sojiro shot back. “It’s all good as long as the shop doesn’t fail. I’m not gonna go wearing a fake smile.”

“That your business philosophy?”

“It’s nothing like that. As long as I’m here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It’s like my own personal hideaway.”

“So, you’d rather avoid confrontation?” asked Chiyo. “That’s dumb.”

“And where did getting into confrontation get you?” Sojiro countered.

Shaking her head, Chiyo silently headed upstairs. “Has he always been lording that over you?” Morgana asked as Chiyo climbed the last step.

“You know what ‘that’ is?”

“Don’t forget I was sneaking around the school for a bit. I heard some of the rumors surrounding you, so I have an idea at least.”

Chiyo placed her bag on the floor, then plopped herself down on her bed. “More or less,” she said. “First day here he said I shouldn’t have gotten into a couple of adults business. But that’s overlooking the fact that some drunkard was putting the moves on a terrified woman! And I would not put it past him to rape her as soon as they were in his car!”

She sensed that Morgana had more questions, but opted not to press the matter further. He trotted across the bed an eyed the desk Chiyo was using to store the various old cookbooks Sojiro collected. “This desk here will make a good work desk. Mind clearing it off? I’ll show you how to make and work an infiltration tool.”

It took Chiyo four trips across the room to store the books on the shelf by her bed. It took ten minutes of dusting the desk until Morgana was satisfied. When the desk was cleared off, Chiyo sat on the stool with the box of hairpins in front of her while she removed the padlock from its card. 

Morgana sat close by on the desk, walking Chiyo through as she molded one pin into a pick, and another into a lever. When the that was done Morgana wanted Chiyo to actually pick a lock. It took the better part of an hour before Chiyo unlocked it the first time. Almost immediately Morgana made Chiyo do it again, and again, and again until he was confident Chiyo had an idea of what she needed to look for in a new lock. “Great!” Morgana stretched out his back. “We should be ready to continue infiltration tomorrow.”

“Get that Treasure as soon as possible.” Chiyo cracked her knuckles. “So, what do we do if the Treasure’s too large for us to carry?”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Morgana said while purring. “I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeves.”

“What sleeves?” Chiyo asked, poking Morgana on the nose, causing him to shake from his head to his shoulders. “In all seriousness, what kind of trick?”

Morgana puffed his chest. “Now what good would it do to reveal all my secrets now?”

Chiyo pursed her lips, pretending to think. “A lot, actually.” She stretched again and bit back a yawn. “And… it’s time for bed.”

###### 

**Monday, April 18th**

She saw Kamoshida outside of campus, greeting the students. “Good morning, Kusakabe,” Kamoshida said upon spotting her.

“Good morning,” she said simply.

Chiyo kept her gaze forward as she headed for the flight of stairs leading to the front door. “That admirable behavior won’t do you any good once you’re expelled,” Kamoshida said in a hushed tone as she passed him. “You’re better off taking my advice.”

She kept her eyes forward and her mouth shut. If he had any plans to wear her down, she wouldn’t dwell on it. For now, anyway. They had fourteen days until the board meeting, plenty of time to change his heart.

Morning English class was interrupted by the vibration of her phone.

And I won’t let myself get exhausted like last time.

| So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning.  
---|---  
| He was just standing there looking at me with this shit-eating grin on his face.  
| He was encouraging me to take his ‘advice.’  
| Right, I almost forgot about his ultimatum.  
| That son of a bitch.  
| Honestly, all this is getting me even more fired up about this.  
| Yeah, I’m worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too.  
| And I won’t let myself get exhausted like last time.  
| We’ve got until May 2nd. We’ve got plenty of time.  
| Hey, I’m ready to go as soon as possible.  
| Me too!  
| Morgana thinks we’re ready to head in, too.  
| Meet up after school?  
| I’ll be there.  
| Just don’t go in without me.  
  
Time went by slower after that conversation. Two days spent preparing for the next infiltration, she was ready as she’d ever be. Chiyo just hoped she was still gearing for it when school let out.

Once let out on the roof, Morgana stretched out his back and legs, then he shook himself from head to tail. “I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd,” he said. 

“We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure from Kamoshida, right?” asked Ann.

“But wait, what even is a Treasure?” Ryuji inquired. “I wanna know that before we really do anything.”

Chiyo‘s head list to the right “It’s a person’s distorted desires, right?” 

“Yes, but it takes physical forms,” added Morgana. “To put it another way, it’s the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble… I think. Having all that, even I don’t know what Kamoshida’s Treasure is going to be.”

“I have a few ideas…” Ann muttered under her breath.

“There’s no way of knowing until we find it. But if I had to guess, I’d say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace. Our objective today is to find the Treasure’s location. Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances.”

“So,” Chiyo took her phone out of her pocket, “we ready to head in?”

With a unanimous agreement, the group relocated to the alley before Chiyo punched in the keywords. Ann yelped when her red jumpsuit and mask appeared on her person. She frantically patted down her arms and shoulders. Her finger’s felt around her mask, investigating every crevice, feeling the shape of it. “Were you expecting a kind of magical girl transformation?” Joker asked playfully.

“Kind of!” Ann’s voice cracked slightly.

“But damn,” Skull breathed out, scrutinizing Ann with interest.

“What’s up?”

Joker could just about make out the flush through Skull’s mask. “N-Nothing,” he looked away, “I was just thinkin’ we should choose a code name for you too.”

“A code name?”

“I’m Skull, she’s Joker, and that’s Mona.” Skull gestured to the person in question as he listed off the code names.

Mona crossed his arms. “Judging by your costume...”

“I mean, she’s got that tail and stuff, so…” Skull glanced at Joker. “Whadda you think, Chiyo?”

Shrugging, Joker lips opened slightly in a lopsided grimace. “I don’t know… Catgirl?”

Ann held her hand up. “ _No way!_ If that’s what you’re going to call me from now on, I am so not down for that!”

“Well, what do you want, then?”

“Something better than just a little cat,” Ann murmured. She gripped her chin in thought; her eyes lit up when an idea came to her. “Maybe ‘Panther?’ That sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?”

Joker nodded in approval. “The image strikes more fear than a housecat would.”

“Exactly!”

“She’s a cougar~” purred Morgana.

“Don’t call me that!” Panther shook her head, clearing her thoughts before she glanced at Joker. “More importantly, Kamoshida…”

Joker handed Panther the submachine gun and got a sense of delight when Panther’s eyes lit up. “So, this’ll work as though it were a real gun?” she asked.

“Yep. Though it’s just an Airsoft in the real world.”

“That’s kind of cool.”

“C’mon!” Skull whined impatiently. “Let’s start fresh and get goin’!”

Something prevented Joker from moving forward with the rest of the team. A strange sensation came over her like someone was watching her. Ignoring the others, Joker slowly turned herself around. She nearly leapt out of her skin when she spotted Robert, standing in front of a blue cell door. “What’re you…?” she tried to say.

“My master would like a word with you,” Robert said politely. “It shouldn’t take long.”

Joker bit at the corner of her lower lip; exhaling through her nose, she took a step forward, walking through the door. Instantaneously her wardrobe was replaced with the striped prison suit. Chiyo stood behind the familiar barred and chained door with Robert and Henry at either side of the door. “The prisoner Kusakabe Chiyo has returned,” announced Robert.

“Well done,” Igor said in approval. “It seems you have remembered my words… You truly make it worth rehabilitating you.”

“I still don’t understand what you mean by ‘rehabilitation,’” said Chiyo. “You say that, yet last time you wanted me to be a good thief. I’m sorry, but that sounds extremely contradictory.”

“I am not attempting to withhold information from you. The essence of the form of rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time.”

Dejected, Chiyo rested her forehead against the bars. Wouldn’t it go better if she knew what Igor wanted of her right off the bat? This unorthodox rehabilitation only made her head swim.

“Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality,” Igor continued, “only then, will I explain it all. However, such a day should not be far off.”

Her curiosity peaked, Chiyo lifted her head.

“This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing.”

“What sort of aid?” asked Chiyo.

“Due to your potential in wielding the power of the wild card, you can handle more than one Persona,” explained Igor. “That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential. To that end, we must execute your Persona.”

“Eh?!”

“Do not be alarmed,” Igor said with a bemused chuckle. “Personas are personalities that exist within you. Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones.”

Chiyo couldn’t help the awkward smile that tugged on her lips. If that wasn’t a perfect way to describe what Chiyo was going through in recent weeks. 

“By discarding your old identity, you give way to a new one. Hence, we call that process ‘execution.’ Think of it as the fusion of your Personas. Now then, let us try an actual Persona fusion. Do you remember how I mentioned forming bonds with confidants?” Chiyo nodded. “Personas are the power of the heart. The stronger those bonds the stronger your Personas will be.”

“We shall be helping you through the process,” Robert said as he and Henry turned to face Chiyo.

With an unnerving grin, Henry flicked his wrist, fanning out four masks. Chiyo’s head list to the side in confusion. There was a gleam in the mask closest to her, she could see Arsene’s image. She tilted her head left to right, making out Pixie, Pyro Jack, and Bicorn’s images within the masks. 

As though some other force were leading her hand, Chiyo pointed at Pyro Jack and Bicorn. “Those two.”

Henry removed the two as instructed before he put away Pixie and Arsene. He tossed the two masks into the air, they took form before they landed. The twins each covered the Persona in a couple of rich blue drapes. Chiyo leaped back a step when two blue guillotines appeared in front of them. 

Chiyo was having second thoughts as Henry and Robert placed the squirming Persona in their respective stocks. The blades fell with a vengeance, the Persona burst into a blue and black substance that mixed together and took shape in front of Chiyo. The new being was a gold magatama with partially closed eyes and a slight smile on its face. “I am Saki Mitama,” it said calmly. “Love and sympathy are all you need in life. I shall become your mask and guide you to intense passion…”

A gentle blue glow surrounded Saki Mitama before it took the form of Chiyo’s mask and vanished. 

“How impressive,” Igor said, watching Chiyo’s expressions the entire time. “A stronger Persona has been born from the body and blood of the old. It shall be your new strength.”

“I’m not fully sure if I get it,” Chiyo admitted.

“It’s worth will be made clearer when you return to the field of battle,” explained Robert.

“Gather more Personas, and bring them here. Gather a great many, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your powers as such will play an integral role in the stand against ruin. 

“Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion. It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly - a joyous fact, indeed… In anticipation of this, I have prepared a gift for you. I hope that you shall accept it.”

Chiyo’s eyes started to water, she dropped her head into her waiting palm in an attempt to soothe the pain. It was like she just finished an eye exam. “I accept, but… ow…”

“Is that a complaint, Inmate?” demanded Henry.

“I’m not a fan of the pain. What kind of a gift is it?”

“It is a thief’s skill,” explained Igor, “allowing one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark. I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation.”

“You are now free to return to your fleeting time of rest,” said Robert.

“Hey, space cadet!”

Joker jumped when she felt Skull’s hand on her shoulder. He and Panther were on either side, staring at her, while Mona stood in front of her with a tilted head. “Something wrong?” he asked. “you were just standing around, staring into space.”

Jaw slightly slacked open, Joker’s gaze bounced amongst her teammates. Didn’t they see Robert or the door? On the one hand, it didn’t surprise her all that much, but it was still disheartening. The Velvet Room, the Palace. There had to be a reason for all of this, but there were no answers. Joker was not sure how well it sat with her. “Y-yeah,” she said. She gestured to the castle with her head. “C’mon, we’ve only got two weeks.”

**The Lovers Rank 1**  
**The Magician Rank 1**  
**The Fool Rank 2**


End file.
